High-mileage drivers dismissive of speed cameras
High-mileage drivers are more likely than any other type of road user to think speed cameras have ‘little or no influence’ in reducing the numbers of road casualties in the UK, according to a white paper issued by the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ (IAM) Drive and Survive division.
The paper, titled Speed Cameras – The Views of High Mileage Drivers, also found 28% of high-mileage drivers have a negative view of speed cameras – 10% more than other drivers.
It also found that more than half of those surveyed felt they were little more than a ‘money making tool’ – more than another category of road user.
The white paper was commissioned by IAM Drive & Survive which is the commercial division of the IAM and provides driver risk management services including tuition for companies and fleets.
The report stated with more than 6,000 speed cameras of various descriptions across the UK in operation, the time was right to ask if there was any greater acceptance of them amongst drivers who spend the greatest amount of time on the roads.
Some 60% of respondents to the survey thought there were other reasons why speed cameras had been installed, other than at accident black spots.
This compares to 39% of medium mileage drivers and 47% of low-mileage drivers thinking the same.
High-mileage drivers are also the most split on whether the money generated from speed awareness courses should be used to operate speed cameras.
And just over a quarter of high-mileage drivers believe speed cameras have not assisted in reducing the number of road casualties – the highest of any group. Some 27% of high-mileage drivers held this view, compared to 20% of medium-mileage drivers and just 16% of low-mileage drivers.
When asked how acceptable is it for authorities to use speed cameras at the side of the road to identify vehicles involved in speeding offences, 28% of high mileage drivers said it was unacceptable, compared to just 18% of medium-mileage drivers and 17% of low-mileage drivers.
The IAM Drive & Survive survey took in the views of 1,001 high, medium and low-mileage drivers. While just one in six low mileage drivers are sceptical of the positive influence of speed cameras, one in four high-mileage drivers are.
A survey three months ago by IAM Drive & Survive found 86% of fleets have experienced an accident in the past 12 months, while 100% of fleets have had an accident where one of their drivers was ‘at fault’.
And government figures showed that between 2008 and 2013, 3,493 people were killed in accidents involving a driver/rider driving for work, including 515 in 2013.
Driving for Better Business says up to one in three road crashes involves a vehicle being driven for work. It added that every week, around 200 road deaths and serious injuries involve someone at work.
Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer said, ‘It is clear that there is a very big task when it comes to making high-mileage driver see the worth of measures to reduce overspeeding. While we know that speeding is not the only cause of accidents and injuries, it is one of the major ones.’
Sarah continued, ‘Employers need to work with their employees to ensure that they appreciate the part they play in making our roads safer.’
‘The figures we have found show the great extent to which high-mileage and company drivers are involved in incidents. Therefore this educational task needs to happen sooner rather than later,’ she added.
