Speeding ‘acceptable’ to many drivers
IAM RoadSmart has renewed its call for speeding to become as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving after new analysis found that many drivers think speeding on motorways and residential streets is acceptable.
The survey found that almost half of motorists (46%) surveyed believe it is acceptable to drive 10 miles per hour over the 70mph speed limit on motorways, with a quarter even willing to go even faster. More than one-in-five motorists (22%) think it is acceptable to drive five miles per hour over the speed limit on a residential street.
Neil Greig, policy and research director for IAM RoadSmart, said: “The results of this survey are deeply concerning. Speeding consistently causes more than 4,400 casualties on UK roads each year. That’s an average of 12 people a day killed or injured in some form. We need a fundamental shift in attitudes towards speeding so that it becomes as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving – where public opinion has changed over previous decades.”
Neil added: “There is a slight glimmer of hope as, overall, acceptability of driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on a motorway has dropped by around 10% since 2016, but there is still a long, long way to go. Attitudes towards tackling urban speeding are much more positive and support for measures such as speed cameras around schools was very high at 82%. Overall, however, opinions on 20mph as the new urban limit are still finely balanced with 53 for and 47% against, which shows much work is needed to change deeply entrenched behaviour.”
