Police catch motorist driving at 121mph on A19 near Northallerton

A North Yorkshire Police safety camera van.

A motorist caught speeding at 121mph on the A19 near Northallerton was among the examples of “appalling” driving the county at the weekend, North Yorkshire Police say.

On Friday, the force announced a high-profile roads policing presence was being deployed across the county to try to prevent fatalities in communities, rural roads and key routes.

Incidents enforced by those officers at the weekend include:

  • 131mph on the A64 in the York area. Speeds of 112mph and 108mph were also recorded.
  • More than 50 offences enforced on the B6479 Settle to Ribblehead road within just one-and-a-half hours.
  • 121mph on the A19 near Northallerton. 103mph was also recorded.
  • 57mph in a residential 30mph zone in Settle.
  • 96mph in a 60mph zone on the A169.
  • 109mph on Cross Hills bypass, in a 70mph limit.

The drivers and motorcyclists involved in the offences are currently being dealt with by police.

Superintendent Paula Booth said: “While many motorists took our advice on board, sadly the standard of driving and motorcycling by a minority this weekend was appalling.

“On Friday we warned motorists that we were stepping up our response to the horrendous driving and motorcycling we’ve seen, and we dealt with a high number of significant violations this weekend.

“As traffic levels increase with some lockdown restrictions being relaxed, we’re concerned that someone will be killed if driving standards are not brought under control. Residents share our concerns and fear for the safety of people in their communities.

“So we have made the decision to continue this robust approach until the issue of excessive speed and other motoring offences has been addressed and we see safer driving and motorcycling across North Yorkshire.

“We will continue our high-profile roads policing deployments in communities, and on larger roads where speed and other motoring offences are an issue.

“If you use North Yorkshire’s roads, be aware that officers are out in force and will be actively enforcing speeding and other offences. Help us to keep everyone safe… slow down and save lives.”

Forces across England have been encountering significant speeding issues as lockdown measures are eased. This coincides with a rise in overall traffic, plus a rise in the number of cyclists and pedestrians.

Last week, North Yorkshire joined the national #SlowDownSaveLives campaign, run by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) to ensure road users remain safe as traffic levels rise.

On average, 17 people are killed and 126 are seriously injured every month in the UK in crashes where speeding is believed to have been a significant factor, the NPCC says.

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