Top tunnel a boy-racer's dream

The parallel 1.8km tunnels were opened with much fanfare in July 2011  but the London Daily Mail reports they are now attracting attention from the wrong types. 

People living nearby have reported cars going through them at speed and there are claims it is a dangerous “no-go zone” – particularly at night. 

The 'average speed' cameras placed at each tunnel mouth are doing little to deter the hooligans, the Daily Mail reports. The speed limit through the tunnel is 113km/h. 

Resident William Broadhurst said: “These reckless drivers are causing us sleepless nights and my very real fear is that there will be a fatality. They are turning up in the souped-up cars, so they are obviously not just young drivers.”

At the time of the Hindhead Tunnel’s opening Britain's Highway Agency reportedly said the project would mean quicker, more reliable, journeys rather than requiring drivers to navigate the area’s country roads. 

Local police confirmed they had received complaints. Officer Jason Clifford told the Mail: 'It would appear that the enthusiasts are keen to experience the longest under-land road tunnel in the United Kingdom and for some this has led to some extreme driving practices.”

But given the booming sound generally returned by high-performance cars within the confines of a tunnel, we can’t say that we blame the boy racers for their “anti-social” driving habits…