The operation was co-ordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL), with 28 countries taking part.

Of the final total of 728,268 detections, 274,355 were made directly by police officers and 453,913 came from automated speed detectors.

During the operation, police officers also detected and dealt with offences connected with irregular immigration and human trafficking (86), possession of drugs (218), firearms (21), stolen goods (23) and other crimes (2,719).

Commenting on the results, TISPOL president Koen Ricour reminded drivers that speed was one of the “big three killers” in the road environment. ‘Speeding puts the lives of other road users and pedestrians at risk, and is believed to be the cause of around one third of all fatal crashes on Europe’s roads.

‘We welcome the fact that fatal crashes have reduced considerably across Europe (from around 54,000 in 2000 to 28,157 in 2012). We know that excessive or inappropriate speed continues to hamper our efforts to reduce fatality and serious injury rates further.’

He added: ‘TISPOL is committed to enforcing speed limits, in particular as part of its support for the European Union’s target of achieving a 50% reduction in the number of people killed on Europe’s roads by 2020. Road policing plays a vital role in saving lives and reducing serious injuries on the road.

‘We urge all motorists to demonstrate care and consideration for themselves, their families and others by driving safely at an appropriate speed, and certainly within the speed limit, at all times. In this way, drivers will be greatly reducing the risk of killing or seriously injuring themselves or other road users.’