A woman has been fined after driving 52mph on a motorway. Sofia Florence Wright, of Parkway, Horley, was admitted to speeding through temporary roadworks on the M23 near Gatwick Airport.

The 31-year-old first appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on February 17, 2026. The court heard that on April 5, 2025, at 9:18am was driving a BMW on the M23 at Tilgate Forest, where the motorway was subject to a temporary 40mph speed restriction due to roadworks.

The driver’s speed was recorded at 52mph by an LTI 20/20 Ultralyte device, a type of laser speed detection equipment operated by officers. The speed exceeded the temporary maximum limit by 12mph, reports the Argus.

Wright pleaded guilty to the speed charge at the hearing in February, and the court said her guilty plea had been taken into account when imposing the sentence.

She was fined £113 and ordered to pay a £45 victim surcharge and £130 court costs. This brought the total penalty to £288. She’s required to pay the full amount by March 17, 2026.

*** Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

The 31-year-old was also handed three penalty points, with a notification being sent to DVLA.

Wright was not in custody, and no hardship marker was attached to her licence.

GOV.UK states that the minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points on the licence. Though it added that how much you pay depends on where you were caught speeding.

Those who plead not guilty to speeding can be found more as well as get more penalty points if the court decides the individual is guilty

It explained: “The amount you’re fined depends on what the speed limit was and how much over it you were driving. It’s usually a percentage of your weekly income, up to a maximum of £1,000 (£2,500 if you were driving on a motorway).

“You could also be disqualified from driving or have your licence suspended.”