Motoring offences prosecuted in England and Wales have reached their highest level for a decade.

Despite fewer police on our roads, there is an ever-increasing volume of traffic.

The latest Ministry of Justice figures are prompting renewed calls for tougher enforcement, better driver education and wider use of road safety technology.

On the up

The latest Criminal Justice Statistics show there were 812,000 prosecutions for motoring offences in 2025, a five per cent increase on the previous year and the highest total recorded over the last 10 years.

The rise was driven by increases in several key offences, including failing to identify a driver, vehicle tax and registration offences, and dangerous driving.

Speeding, driving without insurance and vehicle registration and excise licence offences remained the three most common motoring offences, together accounting for almost two-thirds of all prosecutions.

Compared with 2015, prosecutions for vehicle registration and excise licence offences have surged dramatically, while speeding prosecutions have also risen substantially.

Dangerous driving prosecutions climbed by 34% in a single year to a record high of around 4,700 cases.

 

 

Paying the price

The statistics also reveal that almost 95% of motoring offenders received a fine, with the average financial penalty increasing from £310 to £327.

Meanwhile, more than 104,000 drivers were directly disqualified from driving in 2025, up 29% on the previous year.

Meanwhile, a further 395,000 motorists received penalty points without losing their licences.

While higher prosecution numbers may partly reflect improved enforcement and court throughput, road safety experts fear they also point to declining driving standards.

Rod Dennis, RAC road safety spokesperson, described the figures as “concerning statistics”, adding: “While an increase in convictions could be a sign of the court system working faster, it could also point to a degradation in driving standards that’s putting everyone on our roads at risk.”

He said the continued prominence of speeding offences underlined the need for new approaches to preventing repeat offending, including greater use of Intelligent Speed Assistance technology that can automatically help drivers stay within speed limits.

In the mix

Road safety organisations argue the figures reflect a combination of factors, including increased traffic volumes following the pandemic, wider deployment of automatic enforcement cameras, greater police use of digital evidence and persistent risky driver behaviour.

Experts also point to growing distractions behind the wheel, particularly from smartphones and in-car technology, alongside financial pressures that may encourage some motorists to drive without valid tax, insurance or vehicle documentation.

The Government has repeatedly said it is committed to reducing road deaths and serious injuries as part of its long-term road safety ambitions.

Recent policy proposals have focused on improving enforcement, encouraging safer vehicle technology and working with police forces to target the so-called “fatal five” causes of serious collisions, including speeding, drink and drug driving, distraction, failure to wear seatbelts and careless driving.

Road safety professionals have broadly welcomed those ambitions but stress that implementation will be crucial.

Giving evidence to Parliament’s Transport Committee, Ross Moorlock, chief executive of Brake, said preventing collisions must remain the priority while ensuring support for victims and families affected by crashes.

Meanwhile, IAM RoadSmart’s Nicholas Lyes said ambitious targets would only succeed if backed by practical measures and clear delivery plans.

 

Prevention is the cure

The Ministry of Justice’s figures suggest that enforcement activity continues to intensify.

One of the largest annual increases was in prosecutions for failing to identify the driver of a vehicle when required, up 19%.

In comparison, vehicle registration and excise licence prosecutions increased by 10%, reaching their highest level on record.

With motoring prosecutions now at a decade high, campaigners say the challenge is not simply processing more offenders through the courts, which are already struggling to process all types of cases, with backlogs at record highs.

Instead, preventing offences from occurring in the first place is the way forward.

They argue that combining visible policing, smarter enforcement technology, improved driver education and safer vehicle systems offers the best prospect of reversing the trend and making Britain’s roads safer for everyone.