Police data obtained by the insurer revealed that while the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding had fallen by 6%, court summons have increased.

The number of drivers summoned to court for speeding increased by almost 10% last year from 44,000 to 48,000 – that is nearly 1,000 drivers a week.

Court summons are issued instead of fixed penalty notices in cases where the speeding offence was deemed particularly serious by the police.

The research also revealed almost one in six drivers who have been caught speeding were driving more than 25 mph over the limit at the time, which would be above the threshold for a court summons in most cases regardless of the local speed limit.

Overall last year, the police handed out almost half a million fixed penalty notices for speeding and 48,006 court summons – equating to British motorists being fined £30m for speeding.

Most drivers who were caught speeding said they were spotted by fixed speed cameras (62%), with a significant proportion caught by the police with a camera at the roadside (22%) and police without a camera (10%).

John O’Roarke, managing director of LV= car insurance, said: “While overall speeding convictions are down, it appears that the police are rightly taking a hard line on the most serious speeding offences.

“However, if a driver is caught exceeding the limit by even just a few mph, they can still be fined and given penalty points. Drivers should take care to know their limits to avoid a fine, penalty points or worse.”