MORE than 2,000 drivers were caught speeding in Hampshire in a week-long operation.

Hampshire Constabulary said 75 per cent of people caught speeding during this period were travelling in 30 or 40mph limited roads, in locations where there are often greater hazards and numbers of different road users present.

Sergeant Rob Heard, from the joint operations roads policing unit, said: “Research from across Europe suggests speeding is the most important factor that contributes to road deaths and serious injuries.

“The results in the space of just one week show that too many people are putting their lives in danger on our roads.

“Excessive or inappropriate speed has an appalling impact when you’re involved in a collision.

“The forces experiences by the human body in a collision increase exponentially as the speed increases."

Sgt Heard said a collision at 30mph will give a pedestrian, statistically, an 80 per cent chance of survival, but at 40mph this drops to a 10 per cent chance of survival.

Between August 6 and 12 officers caught 2,007 people speeding on roads across the county.

Officers on the ground "stopped and dealt with" 162 people, the force said, while 1,845 were caught by camera vans.

Police figures show that 70 per cent of those stopped were male, and a similar proportion were aged over 25.

More than 90 per cent were driving cars rather than vans, motorbikes or lorries, and 75 per cent of stopped offenders were within 30mph zones.

Of those caught by camera vans, 815, just under 50 per cent, were car drivers.

There were 42 per cent in 30mph zones, and 34 per cent in 40mph zones.

"Our focus on those who endanger lives on our roads is relentless through both enforcement and education," said Sgt Heard.

"Nearly half of all those caught have will be offered a National Speed Awareness course as an alternative to prosecution.

"This approach is aimed at improving knowledge and attitudes to influence better behaviour on the roads.

"Our message is simple, It’s not worth the risk and you massively reduce the chances of you avoiding a collision when an unexpected hazard occurs in front of you."