TOUGHER action is needed to crack down on speeding motorists across Keighley, it's claimed.

Some drivers have been accused of using the town's roads "like a racetrack".

The claim comes as newly-released data places this region amongst the worst nationally for speeding offences.

Keighley's MP, Robbie Moore, says: "Speeding in and around Keighley and our wider area needs to be addressed with tough, robust action.

"Much stronger enforcement is required against those who treat our town’s roads like a racetrack, needlessly putting the lives of others at risk.

"Special operations and a targeted approach are needed. We all know the hotspot areas.

"Alongside tougher enforcement, it is crucial that this epidemic is targeted at its roots, and heightened efforts are made to educate our young people about the dangers of speeding.

"I will continue to raise this with West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council to campaign for tougher enforcement against dangerous drivers in our town."

Research by Go Compare – based on Home Office and DVLA statistics for 2022, the latest available – found that West Yorkshire had a ratio of 6.49 registered vehicles per speeding violation, the sixth worst in England and Wales.

Police say that since a new West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership enforcement strategy was launched just over a year ago, more than 220,000 drivers have been caught speeding.

And the force pledges that work will continue to crack down on those flouting speed limits.

It says the partnership, which comprises West Yorkshire Police and the region's five local authority highways teams, has so far deployed cameras at over 40 enforcement sites – and the network is set to be expanded.

As part of a Vision Zero initiative, it's aimed to eliminate all avoidable road fatalities and serious injuries by 2040.

In 2022, 65 people were killed as a result of collisions on West Yorkshire's roads – the highest figure since 2018. A further 5,716 people were injured.

Provisional data for last year indicates there were 49 fatalities and 5,466 people were injured.