Extreme speeding has come under renewed scrutiny after a motorist was recorded at 114mph in a 30mph school zone in Aylestone. Freedom of Information data and RAC analysis show tens of thousands of motorists exceeded 20mph or 30mph limits last year, while police recorded top speeds of 161mph in 2025. Authorities are expanding 20mph zones and urging stronger enforcement to protect communities and school children.
Driver Clocked at 114mph Through 30mph School Zone — RAC Data Expose Worrying UK Speeding Spike
Image Credit: Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
A shocking case of extreme speeding has emerged in the UK after a motorist was recorded doing 114mph through a 30mph zone next to a primary school, highlighting a wider pattern of dangerous driving on low-speed roads. Reports from The Mirror and figures compiled by the RAC show tens of thousands of drivers exceeding local speed limits intended to protect children and communities.
High-Profile Incidents
In Aylestone, Leicestershire, a driver was clocked at 114mph on a road with a 30mph limit that is reduced to 20mph during school opening and closing times. In Deeside, North Wales, another motorist was caught doing 89mph on the B5129, where the limit is 20mph.
Image Credit: 30mph signs on Perry Road Buckden by Steve Fareham, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
Wider Picture From FOI Data
Freedom of Information requests to police forces, cited by The Mirror, reveal worrying totals. Of 28 forces that responded, 32,548 drivers were recorded travelling at more than 30mph on roads with 20mph limits. Across 33 forces, authorities reported 271,341 drivers caught at 40mph or above on roads with a 30mph limit. These figures are likely only a portion of the true scale, campaigners say.
Extreme Recorded Speeds
Police forces also reported more extreme cases. In 2025 officers logged top speeds of 161mph on more than one occasion — notably on the A5 at Bayston Hill, Shropshire, and on the M6 southbound between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. The RAC described such figures as "chilling speeds," warning drivers appear unaware of the heightened risk they pose to others.
Image Credit: 20mph speed limit, Broughton by Jim Barton, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
"Our analysis shows some of the frankly chilling speeds some people are prepared to drive at — and these are just the cases the police are aware of," said RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis.
Policy Response And Local Measures
Growing concern about speed and road safety has accelerated the roll-out of 20mph schemes. In the UK, 62 of 153 local authorities have adopted some form of 20mph policy, and more than half of London's roads now carry a 20mph limit. Road safety groups and enforcement agencies say expanded limits and tougher enforcement are needed to protect vulnerable road users, especially around schools.
Authorities continue to call for more consistent enforcement, better public awareness, and targeted safety measures — such as cameras, lower limits at school times and greater police patrols — to reduce the number of extreme-speed incidents on streets and residential roads.
Image credits: 30mph signs on Perry Road, Buckden — Steve Fareham; 20mph speed limit sign at Broughton — Jim Barton (both CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons).
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