A freedom of information request by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to the Ministry of Justice has shown speeding continues to be one of the most common motoring offences across the UK.

According to the released data, the number of people found guilty of speeding in 2014 stood at 148,426 – a 28 per cent increase from the previous year and the highest recorded number since 2005.

The next most-common motoring offence was shown to be insurance-related crimes, although the volume of cases being brought before the courts last year was shown to have fallen significantly.

This was followed by a failure to provide information regarding the identity of a driver when requested, vehicle registration and licensing offences, and driving with alcohol in the bloodstream above the prescribed limit.

IAM chief executive officer Sarah Sillars said: "We can see from these figures that as the UK comes out of recession [and] traffic levels have risen, speeding appears to be becoming more prevalent and regrettably casualties are rising again.

"The government and police forces cannot afford to take their eye off the ball and more visible policing is, in our view, the key way to ensure that people don’t think they can get away with speeding."

All drivers need to be aware of the considerable risks that are associated with exceeding the speed limit, as accidents that involve high-speed vehicles will often result in far worse outcomes for those involved.

Excessive speed is one of the most common contributing factors to fatal accidents on the nation's roads each year. It is therefore imperative that all road users take their responsibilities seriously when getting behind the wheel and stick to speed limits on roads they are traversing.