POLICE across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are backing an international campaign to reinforce respect for speed limits.

This week a speed enforcement campaign has been launched to highlight the dangers of speeding in the UK and abroad in a bid to cut unnecessary deaths on the roads.

The campaign has been created by the European Traffic Police Network, Tispol after figures revealed that one third of fatal crashes in Europe were caused when drivers were over the speed limit.

Now Hampshire police are backing the campaign and have revealed county-wide figures to highlight the problem.

According to research from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary there were 81,000 speeding offences last year.

Of these, 71 per cent of the offences were in 30 mph zones and 14 per cent were in 70mph hour zones.

A further 28 per cent of these offences killed somebody and 12 per cent caused a serious injury.

Daily Echo:

Sergeant Rob Heard, pictured, from Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit, will have his teams out on county roads this week.

He said: “None of us should ever under-estimate the catastrophic effects of excessive or inappropriate speed upon road users and their families, many of whom also suffer lasting and profound consequences from collisions where a loved one has been killed or seriously injured.

“Speeding is one of the main factors involved in fatal collisions, and people must always realise it’s a speed limit, not a target.

“Roads policing officers are on regular patrols across both our counties to catch offenders breaking speed limits and putting lives in danger.

“Education goes side-by-side with enforcement as we strive to improve the behaviour and attitudes of motorists constantly.”

Hampshire Constabulary is a member of the National Speed Awareness Scheme where low end speeders are offered awareness training instead of prosecution and points on their licence.