Driver caught doing 163mph on the M1 as empty roads prove too tempting for 'extreme speeders'

Empty roads are sending motorists berserk, with record numbers caught speeding in London as traffic and congestion drops during lockdown, including a driver caught doing 163mph on the M1.

The Metropolitan Police enforced 2020 speeding offences between April 20-27, compared with just 268 in the same week in 2019 – that’s an eight-fold increase. This follows on from a similar report from the Met about ‘extreme speeders’ such as those caught doing 134mph in a 30 zone and even 73mph in a 20 zone.

Extreme speeding has consequences & impact
➖consequences to life
➖consequences to licence (if lost job & finance)
➖knock on impact #NHSheroes
➖knock on impact #Covid_19 patients medical care abstracted

A 163mph speeder yesterday on #M1 #London should be ashamed of themselves pic.twitter.com/VzZXKKuDZa

— Andy Cox (@SuptAndyCox) April 26, 2020

“Traffic volume in London has fallen by around 60% in recent weeks and the vast majority of Londoners have heeded government advice to stay at home,” said Commander Kyle Gordon of the Metropolitan Police. “Unfortunately, some individuals have sought to exploit the quieter roads and used this opportunity to drive at excessive speed.

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“Driving at this speed we have detected is dangerous and socially irresponsible at this time. Our officers are out across London 24/7 and will be using all of the means available to us to ensure road users drive responsibly throughout this period to keep everyone safe.

“High-risk driving results in serious injuries and fatalities, which cause devastation for everyone involved. So far during the lockdown period we have seen eight fatal road traffic accidents and several more resulting in serious injuries, leaving families utterly devastated.

“At this unprecedented time, dealing with road traffic accidents puts a lot of additional and unnecessary strain on the NHS and other emergency services, who are working on the frontline 24 hours a day to keep us all safe.”

If you’re still riding for legitimate reasons, be extra vigilant that others may be travelling much faster than usual.