70% of drivers knowingly speed

Almost three-quarters of British drivers regularly break the speed limit, finds a new study by Fixter.

It’s survey found that 70% of drivers claim they knowingly exceed the speed limit, with more than a quarter (27%) saying they’ll do it whenever they think they can get away with it.

The data coincides with the launch of a new Google Maps feature that notifies drivers when the speed limit changed.

Almost 40% of those surveyed said the notifications woul make them more cautious about sticking to the speed limit.

Limvirak Chea, CEO of Fixter said: “It’s clear from this data, that although there is a significant number of motorists who knowingly speed, there is an appetite for change.

“We can see that the majority of drivers are optimistic that receiving notifications about changes in the speed limit will make them more cautious when driving and less likely to speed.

“Any improvements we see in the number of speeding offences will have a positive impact on road safety in the UK and, if this update helps achieve this effect, it will be a huge success.”

Speeding is by far the nation’s most common driving offence, with more than two million reported offences in 2016.

Millennials (25-34 years old) were revealed as the age group most likely to speed, with only 20% saying that they would never knowingly exceed the speed limit.

Despite the high numbers of motorists who admit to speeding, three in five (60%) said they believe the current punishments are a sufficient deterrent. However, a fifth (20%) of drivers still think the punishments for ignoring the speed limit should be higher.