ROADS turned noticeably quieter across Hampshire and the UK after the government urged people to stay at home.

But now that lockdown restrictions are starting to ease, the police are expecting to deal with increased collisions and incidents on the roads.

Officers at Hants Roads Policing asked residents if they have noticed a rise in drivers speeding on the roads where they live recently.

They have set up an online poll enabling them to establish whether those on the roads are flouting the limits as lockdown begins to be lifted.

And as of Tuesday morning, figures showed that 89 per cent of people had spotted people driving over the speed limit since the lockdown measures were slightly eased.

It was announced that people could drive somewhere for daily exercise or to meet someone, as long as they maintain a two-metre social distance.

The government said that garden centres could re-open and that those who cannot work from home could return to work.

While 11 per cent of Hampshire residents said they had not seen people speeding recently, officers warned drivers that speeding is not worth the risk.

One person said that although they had not noticed anyone speeding, they said motorists had been "pondering in the outside lane".

They said: "No, however everyday day on the M27, [there are] massive increases in people just pondering along in the middle or outside lane with no one around them, constantly going past them in the inside lane and they still don’t get it."

While another said that people were going over the speed limit as soon as lockdown was announced on March 23.

They said: "Itchen Bridge seemed to have changed to the national speed at the beginning of lockdown."