England's worst drivers by location - the country's hotspots for speeders and phone users

New research has revealed exactly where in the country you're most likely to find the worst offenders for a range of motoring offences – speeders, middle lane hoggers, and phone users.

The study, conducted by car part retailer QX Components, maps out the regions where drivers are most likely to be caught in the act. Using police data, it maps out the location of nearly three million fixed penalty notices handed out over 2016, to show the worst locations for each offence.

When it came to speeding, the East of England took the crown. One in every 18 drivers there was issued with a speeding ticket, with a total of 325,963 fixed penalties handed out in total.

Thanks to near-constant gridlock, London proved to be the best place to avoid speeders. Only one in 81 drivers there was issued with a speeding ticket.

When it comes to mobile phone use though, the story is reversed, with the capital topping the charts. Sitting in traffic obviously becomes tiresome for London drivers, and one in 52 motorists were convicted for mobile phone offences. At the bottom of that leaderboard is the North East of England, with one in every 162 drivers getting a ticket.

The North East also trails the rest of the country for middle lane hogging. Only one in every 38,759 drivers there holds a conviction for improper lane conduct, with just 67 tickets handed out in 2016. By contrast, the neighbouring North West of England convicted the most drivers – 7,954 in total, leaving one in 887 drivers with a conviction.

These figures might just indicate how vigilant the local traffic cops are in catching these offences, however. For example, we don't expect drivers suddenly gain lane discipline when they pass over from East to West.

So take note as you make your festive getaway, and remain extra vigilant as you drive through these regions if you don't want to risk a hefty fine!

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