Alarming Rise in Excessive Speeding on UK Raises Serious Concerns

Excessive speeding has become a significant issue on UK roads. According to new data from the RAC, 81% of drivers regularly observe other drivers “excessively speeding” across all types of roads. While 82% report seeing speeding on motorways and high-speed dual carriageways, 80% notice it on lower-speed roads, including 30mph and 20mph zones.

Speeding and Fatal Collisions

Excessive speeding remains a major contributor to fatal road incidents. Government data for 2023 reveals that speeding played a role in 21% (304) of all fatal collisions. These figures underscore the serious consequences of speeding, highlighting the risks to both drivers and other road users.

Increased Speeding on Lower-Speed Roads

The issue of speeding on lower-speed roads is particularly alarming. On 20mph roads, 50% of driversadmitted to exceeding the limit, up from 46%in 2023. This trend is part of a broader pattern, with 36% of drivers in 2018 acknowledging they occasionally or frequently broke the 20mph limit. These zones, where pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable, are especially concerning.

Motorway Speeding on the Rise

The problem of speeding extends to motorways as well. The RAC’s 2024 Report on Motoring found that 58% of drivers exceed the 70mph speed limit on motorways, up from 57% last year. Additionally, 47% of drivers admitted to speeding on 60mph roads, an increase from 45% in 2023. This rising trend is worrying, suggesting that speeding is becoming commonplace across various road types.

Drivers' Perception of Speed Limits

Many drivers view speed limits as a target rather than a maximum. 72% of drivers aim to drive as close to the speed limit as possible, indicating that many drivers push limits regularly. Furthermore, 55% of drivers believe that there is a culture in the UK where breaking the speed limit is acceptable, with only 23% disagreeing with this view. This cultural tolerance for speeding contributes to the ongoing problem.

Proposed Solutions to Address Speeding

Several potential solutions have been suggested to address excessive speeding. The most popular option is the increased use of average-speed cameras, with 39% of drivers supporting this measure. These cameras monitor drivers over longer distances, helping to ensure that they comply with speed limits.

Radar-activated signs, which display the relevant speed limit alongside the driver’s actual speed, are the second most favored solution, supported by 36% of drivers. These signs provide real-time feedback and encourage drivers to adjust their speed accordingly.

Additionally, 31% of drivers** advocate for better speed limit signage, while 30% support the idea of sat-navs or in-car systems alerting drivers when they exceed the limit. Less popular options include increasing the use of mobile speed cameras (26%) and implementing more severe penalties for those caught speeding (21%).

Rod Dennis on the Urgency of Addressing Speeding

Rod Dennis, a spokesperson for the RAC, expressed concern about the prevalence of excessive speeding and its impact on road safety. He pointed out that speeding is a major cause of fatal accidents and called for action to reduce this behavior, particularly on roads with lower speed limits where vulnerable road users are most at risk.

Rod Dennis said:

“It is particularly worrying that so much excessive speeding observed by drivers appears to take place on 20mph and 30mph roads as this is where the greatest number of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooter riders, are.”

He urged the government to prioritize tackling excessive speeding in its upcoming road safety strategy.

Research conducted with 2,691 drivers by Online95 for the RAC Report on Motoring 2024 between 23 March – 15 April 2024. Only those who hold a full, current UK driving licence, drive at least once a month and have a motor vehicle in their household took part. Responses were rim-weighted to be nationally representative of UK motorists in age, gender, socio-economic groups and all UK regions. Effective sample size 1,925 drivers.

Reported road casualties Great Britain: fatal 4 - speed factsheet, 2023
Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2023

The article was originally published on RAC website.