Older, wealthier drivers more likely to speed, finds new survey

A third of drivers admitted to breaking the speed limit, with older, higher-earners among the worst offenders, a new survey has revealed.

It also highlighted a need for a greater number of visible speed limit signs, as motorists admit they have unwittingly broken the speed limit because they did not know the limit for the roads they were driving on.  

The findings were revealed by Venson Automotive Solutions, which ran the survey ahead of Brake Road Safety Week 2020, which is centred around speeding.

Simon Staton, director of client management at Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “Our survey findings suggest that more needs to be done to make people aware – both in terms of in-car tech to alert drivers to their speed and dominant signage on UK’s roads – of varying  speed limits, particularly in the wake of new reduced limits across many towns and cities.

“Driving a vehicle at excess speed is one of the most common motoring offences. However, with the HSE estimating that more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents may involve somebody who is driving as part of their work at the time, more must be done to curb speeding.

“Fleet managers and businesses need to ensure they have a Duty of Care policy in place that includes driver licence checking, driver risk assessments and driver training. It is important to also monitor speeding fines and accident data to understand the drivers that pose a risk to the business, themselves and other road users, and work with them to improve their  behaviour behind the wheel. Businesses can also encourage user-choosers to consider in-car technology to help them drive responsibly such as intelligent speed assistance systems. Educating drivers and ensuring best practices are in place will in turn save lives.”