News & Features
Report on Motoring Speeding Statistics
Posted in General News on Friday, February 17th, 2023
There has been a large increase in the number of drivers who are breaking the speed limit on 60mph rural roads. Nearly half of the 3,102 drivers questioned as part of the RAC’s Report on Motoring say they have exceeded the limit on these roads at some point in the past year. Eight percent confess to having done this ‘frequently’ while 40% say they have done it ‘occasionally’ on up to half of their journeys on these roads.
When it comes to driving on motorways and dual carriageways as many as 60% of those surveyed say they have broken the 70mph speed limit, this is an increase of 5% on the previous year. The percentage of people who admitted to speeding on 20mph and 30mph urban roads has changed very little over the past 12 months. 40% admitted to exceeding the limit on 30mph roads compared to 41% the previous year, and 46% admitted to breaking the speed limit on 20mph roads this figure had not changed from the year prior.
When giving a reason for exceeding the limit on 60 and 70mph roads many people said that they were doing it to keep up with traffic and most of the people who exceeded the limit on a 20mph roads said that they had done so because they thought that the 20mph limit was inappropriate for that stretch of road. RAC Road Safety Spokesman, Simon Williams said: “The recent increase in the proportion of drivers admitting to speeding on 60mph rural roads is extremely worrying as more people lose their lives every year in collisions on these roads than on any other.”
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James George
Monday, February, 20th, 2023
Having been one caught for the 1st time speeding, 37 in a 30 limit last November. Took the Awareness' course. I was shocked to find the restriction on vans is 60 on motorways. How many do we see doing over 70 in the fast lane. The other problem is being in a 30 and seeing 40 or 50 speed sign just a few yards ahead. I have met many drivers who get caught out this way.
Brian Bremer
Monday, February, 20th, 2023
When the speed limits for all roads are set ridiculously lower than the conditions dictate what do you expect? Of course people will drive faster. It’s not the drivers at fault, it’s a mixture of Highways and Government collusion to force people into driving slower. There’s a conception that lower speeds save lives and reduce fuel consumption, so how come statistics show exactly the opposite?
Minati Das
Monday, February, 20th, 2023
Many places in inner London have ridiculous speed limits of 20 mph even though the road is wide and it's not a particularly busy area. It is frustrating driving in these areas, made more stressful by hidden cameras waiting to capture a slight increase in the driver's speed. There are much narrower roads where I live and I feel they could do with a 20mph limit, but they are left at 30 mph. Doesn't make sense.
Tia Junior
Monday, February, 20th, 2023
The police are on record as saying that although speeding is breaking the law, that in itself does not justify prosecution. They have in addition unilaterally applied allowances to legal limits and do not regard speeding as a "problem" on a stretch of road until about 65% of traffic is exceeding it. Until they take a clear zero tolerance approach and back it up with PR + rigorous enforcement, they will continue to waste £m on speed traps & attempts at "calming", where there is no evidence that either produce a sustained change in driver behaviour.
Barry O’Connell
Monday, February, 20th, 2023
Speeding be it rural roads , town streets,it is rife ,speed is now a major problem, drivers have no comprehension of the danger to their speed
Andy Grey Rider
Tuesday, February, 21st, 2023
Have had a clean licence since 2005. I am not interested in breaking the speed limit. It's boring and tiring going fast. I prefer to enjoy the journey. I have travelled in Europe on unlimited roads hitting over 300kph on regular occasions. I am a professional rider and shocked at the level of poor driving/riding. I have raced on a racetrack too and the lack of a high-level of skill is quickly discovered in a much safer controlled environment. It's those that have Speed Camera Anxiety and drive like Mister Kipling - Exceedingly Slow every time they approach Average Speed Cameras and GATSO's. The Kipling's are the one's most likely to cause an accident because they're fixated on their speedometer instead of the road. Slowing down for the camera zone by almost 15mph and then speeding up by as much once through. They make me smile every time because they're so predictable. Get caught in them zones and you should lose your licence for life. There's not enough cameras, speed bumps, refuges, bus lanes and traffic cones to create the pollution the local councils are contriving to amass amongst themselves. The craftiness of camera bus lanes and exorbitant parking charges will remove us drivers from your retail ghost town's. I carry my manual wheelchair to out-of-town retail parks to deprive local town and city centres of revenue. Where it is free to park, pee, poop and relax. No speed cash cow camera's there! Yours Cynical and Ironic
ChrisK
Tuesday, February, 21st, 2023
Since the introduction of 20 MPH limits roads deaths have not gone down so again these limits are nothing more than money making events. Oh yes I hear you say they have gone down in 2021 and 22 but this is all to do with lockdowns not speed limits. The other thing that makes our speed limits fines a joke is there is no difference to fines between doing 21 MPH in a 20 zone or for doing 25, 30, 35 or more MPH in a 20 zone. Still never mind with all the bans on van and cars with bus lane with no buses just for the sakes of bus lanes it won't belong before our country turns into the riches third world country in the world and IMO is one of the reason why nobody goes to work these days after all what's the point of going to work if most of your earnings are going on road tax, fuel duty, VAT and parking fines. Just stay at home and let the country go down the pan, you know it makes sense.