There was a 24% increase in the number of motorists caught speeding in Perth and Kinross.
The rate of speeding offenses in Perth and Kinross per 10,000 population is nearly four times the Scottish average.
A total of 1,779 speeding offenses were detected between April 1 and December 31, 2021 compared to 1,436 for the same period the previous year.
The figures were included in the latest Perth and Kinross Police Service report which was presented to the Housing and Communities Committee of Perth and Kinross Council on Wednesday March 23.
Conservative Councilor Colin Stewart has raised concerns that Perth and Kinross rates are ‘substantially’ above the average for the whole of Scotland.
The representative for Strathmore said: ‘Not only has recorded speeding increased, but in fact the rate of speeding offenses per 10,000 population is higher in Perth and Kinross than the [rest of the Tayside] division, but also significantly above the average for Scotland as a whole. It is certainly a concern.
The offense rate for Perth and Kinross was 118 per 10,000 population compared to 32 per 10,000 population for Scotland.
Chief Superintendent Phil Davison said the summer period of 2021 has seen Scotland experience “many more visitors to its rural communities”.
He said: ‘Perth and Kinross are clearly attractive as a tourist destination, but are also a gateway to the highlands.
“There has been an increase in road traffic use in the area which is clearly a need for all agencies and services to ensure that we have safety provisions and measures in place – ranging in the sense of application in education and engineering.”
CS Davison said he responded and listened to local communities if they had concerns about speeding and accidents.
He said: “I would encourage our communities to continue to report to their local police where they have these speeding concerns and perceptions.
“It’s something we treat seriously.”
Councilors were told that road safety vans tend to sit mainly where there have been fatalities and more serious road accidents.
Conservative Councilor Bob Brawn said the speed was one of the biggest complaints he received.
He asked about portable cameras “literally just bolted to a pole” in England “left there for a while then moved on to the next place”.
The Blairgowrie and Glens councilor asked if they could be introduced to Perth and Kinross and across Scotland.
CS Davison said: “I am aware of the benefits.
“New technologies are taken into account throughout.”
He undertook to pass on Cllr Brawn’s investigation to his colleagues in the traffic police.
Strathtay Tory Councilor Anne Jarvis said she was “constantly” receiving speeding complaints, whether on 20mph roads or rural roads. She asked if there was a way to “draw a line” where there was or was not a problem.
CS Davison said: “Whenever we receive this data, we want to evaluate it over a period of time using the various metrics and capabilities we have to do so.”
In its report, CS Davison said the “significant” increase in speeding offenses was “attributable in part to more focused operational activity not only on priority routes, but also to targeted patrols on routes that are reputable have problems with speeding and have been identified by a number of community commitments”.
Notable speeds recorded in Perth and Kinross during this period were 107mph within a 70mph limit, 93mph within a 60mph limit and 56mph within a 30mph limit.