IF you hit a pedestrian while driving at 30 miles per hour, they have an 80 per cent chance of surviving – but that drops to just ten per cent at 40mph, police say.

Officers have spoken out about the dangers of speeding after the Daily Echo reported that one motorist was caught travelling at 137mph on the M3 last year.

It was the highest speed recorded on Hampshire’s roads in 2018. Two drivers hit top speeds of 120mph on the A303, while another motorist was caught at 118mph on the A31 through the New Forest.

The figures were released by road safety charity Brake. Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for the organisation, has called for more government funding for roads policing, as well as harsher penalties for those caught at high speeds.

“We have to make sure these dangerous, selfish drivers are taken off our roads,” he said.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: “Research from across Europe suggests speeding is the most important factor that contributes to road deaths and serious injuries.

“Excessive or inappropriate speed has an appalling impact when you’re involved in a collision. The forces experienced by the human body in a collision increase exponentially as the speed increases.”

Officers are “relentless” in their focus on those who “endanger lives” by speeding, the officer said. “Our message is simple – it’s not worth the risk,” he said.

In 2018, 72 drivers were caught speeding at more than 100mph in Hampshire.