A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Met has revealed the highest recorded car speeds in each London borough between January 2021 to February 2024.

The data from the Metropolitan Police's Strategy and Insight division showed the highest speed recorded in comparison to the population size and the number of cameras installed in each borough.

The highest recorded speed in Teddington's borough of Richmond-upon-Thames stood at 84mph – leisurely compared to the chart-topping Havering's 144mph.

A comparison with neighbouring boroughs puts Richmond in the middle of the road: Merton clocked its fastest driver going 104mph, while Sutton came in at a comparatively leisurely 66mph.

Richmond borough has one of the highest number of speed cameras per capita with 20.01 cameras per 100,000 people – the second-highest rate in south-west London, handily being beaten out by neighbouring Kingston with 29.11 per 100,000.

However, both are dwarfed by Camden in north London, which has over triple the rate of Richmond at an astounding 61.91 speed cameras per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, nearby Hammersmith and Fulham has only 11 speed cameras for its 185,238 residents, giving the borough the lowest rate of cameras to population in London.

According to Transport for London (TfL), cars were the main reason for 68% of all road-related deaths in 2023 killing up to 95 people.

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Happily, Teddington has some of the safest roads in the capital, as shown by child road casualty data from 2021 to 2022.

"Speeding remains one of the biggest risks to road users, with around half of the 2023 fatal collisions in London reporting speed as a contributory factor," says Carlease, the company who made the FOI request to the Met. 

According to The Standard, a FOI request made by The Times found that the Met has increased the number of tickets issued for 20mph offences by 700% since 2018.

This is the equivalent of one in every four cars registered in London to be penalised for speeding. 

The TfL website says the 20mph speed limit reduces the risk of killing someone by five times then if they were hit at 30mph.

Nick Simmons, CEO of road crash victim charity RoadPeace, adds: "We need collective action and commitment from everyone—drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and policymakers—to see a significant reduction in road deaths and serious injuries and to create safer streets for all."