Drivers have become less likely to approve of speeding, reveals new research by IAM RoadSmart.
The independent road safety charity published the findings in the latest edition of its Safety Culture Report.
Of the 2,000 motorists surveyed, 42 percent believed it was acceptable to drive at 80mph on a motorway. This is down from 56 percent who gave the same response in 2016.
Speeding out of fashion
More than a fifth (21 percent) of those questioned for the 2022 report believed driving above 80mph was acceptable. But this represents a decline from 28 percent six years ago.
Interestingly, just 17 percent of those in the North East thought speeds above 80mph on a motorway are fine. By comparison, 25 percent of drivers in the East of England found them acceptable.
The East of England also accounts for the highest percentage of drivers who accept driving at 5mph above a residential speed limit.
More than a quarter (27 percent) of that region’s motorists found it acceptable, with the North East again the least accepting, at 16 percent.
Numbers down, but more to be done
Self-reported speeding by drivers was lower in the latest Safety Culture Report. Only 10 percent of respondents admitted to driving at 5mph over the speed limit on a residential street, compared with 17 percent in 2016.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and research, says more needs to be done: “Acceptability of speeding on motorways is still far too high, but the downward trends of drivers’ opinions are a positive sign. Actual speeding behaviour in towns and cities has also improved, as more and more drivers appear to understand the link between speed and serious injury.
“Those who believe it is acceptable to drive at speeds greater than the limit are simply not listening to the warnings or taking notice of the frequent police messaging. Speeding is responsible for around 12 deaths each day on UK roads. We clearly need to do more to educate drivers on the fatal consequences of speeding.”
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