BMW clocked at 155mph on M1 among nearly 10,000 speeders caught on Northamptonshire roads in June

'No matter how good a driver you think you are, you can't beat the laws of physics,' warns road safety chief
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Nearly 10,000 drivers were caught speeding on Northamptonshire's roads during just 30 days June.

One motorist with a heavy right foot was clocked at an eye-watering 155mph in a BMW M3 on the M1 and another at 104mph on a 60mph stretch of the A45 near Northampton, leaving the new chair of the county's Road Safety Alliance scratching her head in disbelief.

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Superintendent Jen Helm, who is also head of Northamptonshire Police Central Operations, said: "We cannot be any clearer: Excess speed is consistently one of the biggest cause factors in collisions.

The BMW was clocked at 155mph racing past junction 18 on the M1 in JuneThe BMW was clocked at 155mph racing past junction 18 on the M1 in June
The BMW was clocked at 155mph racing past junction 18 on the M1 in June

"No matter how good a driver you believe yourself to be, the basic laws of physics remain the same."

The Beamer which lit up cameras between junction 18 and 19 on the northbound M1 was among 2,598 snapped on the Northamptonshire section north of junction 16 last month.

Another 3,543 were caught south of junction 15, where average speed cameras enforce temporary 60mph limits protecting workers.

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Critics claim more cameras on the motorway are merely filling government coffers with cash from speeding fines to the tune of more than 300 a day.

Speeding is one of the 'fatal four' offences known to contribute most to deaths and serious injuries on roadsSpeeding is one of the 'fatal four' offences known to contribute most to deaths and serious injuries on roads
Speeding is one of the 'fatal four' offences known to contribute most to deaths and serious injuries on roads

But Supt Helm said: “Common sense tells us that the increase in offences can be partially attributed to additional enforcement cameras on the motorway.

“However, the cameras can only detect drivers who are driving at excess speed in the first place.

"So, as the result of the additional cameras, we’re now clearly seeing the risk to our road users when it was previously hidden."

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Most drivers caught speeding get the option of paying a fixed penalty fine and points on their licence or attending a speed awareness court.

But, of the 4,579 drivers caught during June by Northamptonshire Police enforcement, 63 were deemed so serious that they were sent straight to magistrates’ court where penalties are usually much more severe.

Supt Helm added: “As a partnership, Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance priority is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“Every person who needlessly dies on our roads is a life stolen, and who leaves behind people who love and grieve for them.

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"Every serious injury is a person who woke up one morning for a normal day and who is now facing coming to terms with a life-changing injury.

“Again, we urge people to think about their actions and drive at a speed suitable to the conditions and within the posted limit.

"The speed limits are informed by decades of analysis, how fast can we safely go without the inevitability of serious harm in the event of a collision.

"Speeds in excess of those limits risk extreme consequences, leaving families devastated and offending drivers with a lifetime of guilt and shame.”

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A Northamptonshire man is still serving a ten-year driving ban after filming himself tearing up the tarmac on the A45 at a crazy 192mph in a Nissan GT-R.

Shaun Davis was jailed for 28 months in 2015 after being found out when police uncovered footage of him behind the wheel of high-performance cars — including the Nissan, a BMW M5 and Audi RS6.

Davis' daughter was in the passenger seat on one of the videos, later shared by the Police.