An investigation by this publication has revealed that Thames Valley Police has filed charges against 80 motorists for speed-related offences below the 20mph threshold.
The intended prosecution notices were served on those drivers throughout 2025 for claimed violations on roads across the county.
Questions were posed to the force regarding the conditions under which a driver could face prosecution for exceeding 20mph, given this represents the minimum speed limit on British roads. However, Thames Valley Police was unable to offer an explanation.
The motorists were identified by police personnel rather than automatic speed detection equipment.
When approached for comment, a Thames Valley Police representative indicated that enforcement of this speed restriction would come from police officers at the roadside, rather than stationary cameras or mobile enforcement vehicles.
In 2024 and earlier periods, no motorists received intended prosecution notices for speeding offences below 20mph.
Information obtained via a Freedom of Information request by this publication also revealed that 252 people were prosecuted for speeding in 20mph areas.
Two years prior, 34 drivers were detected travelling above the limit in 20mph zones, with all caught by mobile cameras, officers, or community speed watch volunteers.
Oxfordshire County Council has recently introduced approximately 275 20mph zones across towns and villages, with the goal of cutting the number of injuries or deaths.
The freshly obtained figures additionally showed that 170,778 intended prosecution notices were issued to motorists caught speeding in 2025.
This marked a substantial drop from the 2024 total of 217,348, which exceeded the 168,897 from 2023 but fell short of the 2022 figure of 207,536.
During the previous year, fixed speed cameras in the Thames Valley area, encompassing Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, documented 98,252 incidents.
Most of these occurred on 30mph roads (37,275 or 68,011 when accounting for mobile cameras, speed watch or officers equipped with speed detection devices).
The information additionally revealed that in 2025, 645 people were caught travelling at 100mph or faster (572 were recorded by fixed speed cameras).
The typical punishment for speeding comprises a £100 financial penalty and three penalty points on one’s driving licence.
Going above the speed limit in a 20mph zone, typically enforced when speeds reach 23-24mph or more, can likewise result in a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Thames Valley Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber have been invited to supply additional remarks.
On the subject of speeding in 20mph areas, Mr. Barber has previously indicated that the force is capable of enforcing 20mph restrictions when there is a compelling justification to do so.
Nevertheless, he contended that roads with 20mph limits ought to be self-regulating through signage, physical modifications or traffic calming measures introduced by the council.
Mr. Barber proposed this strategy would prompt drivers to comply with the speed restriction instinctively rather than relying principally on police action.
The force persists in evaluating requests for speed enforcement according to potential danger and risk, allocating resources where they are most required, he stated.