Most drivers see speed limits as “goals” to be met and admit to violating them on motorways, a survey has found.
Seven in ten (72 per cent) drivers surveyed by the RAC said they tried to drive as close to the limits as possible.
Some 81 per cent of respondents said they regularly saw people “excessively speeding”, and 55 per cent said there was a culture among UK road users that speeding was acceptable.
The survey suggested that increased use of average speed cameras was the most popular way to tackle the problem, with 39 per cent of drivers supporting this idea.
This was followed by radar-activated signs showing the limit of drivers’ actual speed, which were supported by 36 per cent of drivers.
Department for Transport figures show 314 people died in accidents on British roads in 2023 in which a driver exceeding the speed limit was a contributing factor. This was at least a ten year high.
The RAC survey of 2,691 drivers indicated there had been an increase in the percentage of drivers breaching speed limits.
About 58 percent admitted speeding on highways “frequently” or “occasionally,” up from 57 percent in 2023.
More than half of drivers surveyed admitted to speeding on highways “frequently” or “occasionally” (file photo)
Department for Transport figures show 314 people died in crashes on British roads in 2023 in which a driver exceeding the speed limit was a contributing factor (file photo)
The figure was 50 percent for 20 mph roads (up from 46 percent), 42 percent for 30 mph roads (up from 40 percent), and 47 percent for 60 mph roads (up from 45 percent). percent).
RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: “It is worrying that our research indicates that speeding has become so common, because the consequences are so serious – a fact confirmed by Government data showing it contributes to 21 percent of all fatal collisions.
“It is particularly worrying that so much speeding observed by drivers appears to occur on 20mph and 30mph roads as this is where the largest number of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter users are found.
‘We urgently need to put an end to speeding to keep us all safe. The Government is working on the country’s first road safety strategy for many years, so we hope tackling it will be a priority.’