Following the councils’ covert implementation of 20 mph zones, thousands of motorists are being stung with £100 penalties.
People suspected of exceeding a 20 mph speed limit received 23,338 Notices of Intended Prosecution (NIP) letters from Avon and Somerset Police, followed by 8,372 letters from South Wales and two letters from Cleveland (1,644).
Drivers must contend with a postcode lottery in terms of enforcement, as no police were sent to Cumbria, Humberside, Lincolnshire, or the Thames Valley.
One warning was issued by Bedfordshire, two by West Mercia, three by Staffordshire, five by Dorset, and six by Kent.
Drivers are informed by Nips that they have been charged with speeding and have the choice of accepting the fine or contesting it in court.
Campaign organization Action Vision Zero acquired the information and sent it to the Sunday Times, which then shared it with other media outlets.
Although safety advocates cite statistics showing that 20 mph zones reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, many drivers believe they are overused and often trap cautious drivers who get caught out.
The zones should be utilized in “particular places where there is clear evidence of pedestrian vulnerability,” according to driving advocacy Quentin Willson, but the general public has to have trust that they are being “administered proportionally based on actual facts.”
He told MailOnline, “Blanket 20 mph restrictions would invalidate other road safety measures and alienate driving customers.”
“We need the people to think they are receiving fair, transparent treatment and that any penalty does not endanger their way of life,” said the government.
The unintended result of this is that a population of law-abiding drivers loses interest in road safety. There are a lot more risky motorists to chase.
The number of Nips provided to the 10,000 members of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association increased by 800% during the previous six months, according to Steve McNamara, general secretary of the organization.
He asserted that an overwhelming majority, or 80%, supported driving faster than 20 mph.
He told MailOnline that there had been a “seismic change” in speed restrictions and how they were applied across London. Although we don’t support exceeding the posted speed limit, a significant portion of the drivers we represent—many of whom have spent their whole lives without incurring a citation and maintaining a clean driving record—are suddenly racking up fines and points at an alarming pace.
The surprise reduction in speed restrictions to 20 mph zones from 40 mph on routes like Park Lane has taken some drivers off guard.
“This has become an even greater issue and drivers feel that they are being unjustly targeted,” the Met said in a statement.
“The Met has now decreased the speed threshold at which a prosecution is initiated, and is working towards an enforcement objective of issuing one million penalties.”
In order to achieve its goal of completely eliminating fatalities and severe injuries from the transportation system by the year 2041, the Metropolitan Police is increasing the number of patrols in 20 mph zones every year.
According to the study, a pedestrian struck by a car at 20 mph had a five-fold lower risk of dying than one struck at 30 mph.
The amount of enforcement at 20 mph is around half that of individuals who are caught speeding on 30 mph and 40 mph highways and motorways nationwide.
For individuals who are qualified, the penalty increases from a fixed penalty notice at 24 mph to a speed awareness for those who are caught driving between 24 mph and 31 mph.
Offenders who exceed 35 mph may be fined up to 700% of their monthly salary, or a maximum of £1,000.
20 mph zones are set to become the standard for a third of Wales’ roads starting in September of next year thanks to the efforts of councils that represent around one-third of the country’s built-up regions by population.
The RAC Foundation’s Steve Gooding urged local governments to do more to inform drivers that 20 mph zones need them to “slow down a little” to “reduce the chance of a member of your family dying in a road collision.”