Motorists are being urged to stick to the limit as new figures reveal almost 66,000 drivers were caught speeding in Essex last year.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Essex Police show that 65,782 people were caught in 2014, up from 50,073 in 2013 and 57,765 in 2012.

Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager at the force, said the true extent of speeding was likely to be higher.

Mr Pipe said: “There is speeding in excess of the speed limit, but there is also driving faster than the conditions allow. People have been caught out in icy or wet conditions as they don’t drive to the conditions facing them.

“Speed is still very much an issue in a number of collisions, and in many communities which see themselves as vulnerable.

“At a time when general policing is under pressure we are still able, through the toolbox available to us, to produce a robust strategy, whether it is through cameras, road policing officers or general patrols.

“We saw a rise in people killed or seriously injured in Essex at the end of last year, and although it has settled down in the past few months we cannot take our eyes off the ball. Our roads remain extremely busy.

“We need to maximise the use of available technology when there are new road designs.”

Speed cameras have been installed to enforce a new 50mph speed limit on the A120 at Pellens Corner, while work is underway to introduce average speed cameras on the A12 at Kelvedon to monitor the 70mph limit.

However Mr Pipe warned motorists that police were clamping down on bad driving, and those who tried to break the law without being detected.

“There are those people who may think they are getting away with it by not responding to letters – but we had 3,600 court cases of people who failed to nominate a driver last year, and 47 cases of perverting the course of justice,” he added.

“Many of those 47 received custodial or suspended sentences as the courts treat this very seriously.

“People at the top end of the scale are often linked to other criminality as well.”

The FoI request also revealed Essex Police received £1.6million in income from speed awareness courses last year, up from £800,000 in 2012 and £900,000 in 2013.