Police record 149 driving offences on M5 in few hours

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 12:32 · Archive

Police recorded 149 driving offences on the M5 between junctions 26 and 27 in Somerset on Saturday afternoon.

Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Unit recorded 149 offences during a speed enforcement operation on the M5 between junctions 26 and 27 on Saturday afternoon. The stretch runs from the Wellington junction towards Tiverton and the Devon border. One driver was recorded doing 107mph.

Police stressed that the enforcement van used in the operation was clearly marked and not concealed from motorists. A Roads Policing Unit statement said: 'The van wasn't hidden. The speed limits weren't new. Yet 149 drivers still chose to ignore them.'

Police said they enforce speed limits to reduce the consequences of collisions rather than simply to issue tickets. They noted that 'when collisions happen, speed is often the difference between walking away and a life-changing injury, or worse'. Higher speeds reduce reaction time and increase stopping distances. The force appealed to motorists to 'slow down, respect the limit' and 'protect yourself and others'.

Some drivers disputed the police statement, with online comments suggesting the van was positioned where it was difficult to see, such as around a bend or at the edge of a bridge.

Police record 149 driving offences on M5 in few hours — Image: Somerset County Gazette

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How it is being reported

Somerset drivers warned after M5 police operation sees 149 speeding offencesPolice have warned of the "devastating consequences" of speeding after M5 drivers at the edge of Somerset were caught going well over 100MPH.Somerset County Gazette · 20 Oct, 12:00
149 driving offences spotted by police on the M5 in just a few hoursPolice have issued a stark warning after clocking 149 driving offences on the M5 in just a few hours.SomersetLive · 19 Oct, 21:36

In this story: Avon and Somerset Police · M5 · Somerset · Devon

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