More than half of drivers in Britain exceed 30mph limits, says DfT

More than half of motorists in Britain speed in 30mph zones. 

That's according to a new Department for Transport review of 2018 figures, which found 53 per cent of car users and 52 per cent of van drivers exceed residential restrictions.

More than two in five drivers also travel at speeds of more than 70mph on the motorway, as the statistics suggest many are flouting the law. 

AA president Edmund King said the stats were 'concerning' and the next Prime Minister should champion road safety and increase police numbers to enforce speed limits across the country.

The DfT released the 'Vehicle Speed Compliance Statistics, Great Britain: 2018' report, which provides a breakdown of speed limit compliance rates across different vehicle types.

It found that more than a third of all vehicle categories exceed 30mph limits, including HGVs and large buses.

Motorcyclists are most likely to be going over a 30 limit - 55 per cent of riders, according to the Government. 

There's a similar breakdown for motorists speeding on motorways.

Some 46 per cent of car users and 47 per cent of van driver are travelling over 70mph on motorways, with 53 per cent of bikers doing the same.

While the figures might suggest that motorists in Britain are showing complete disregard for the law, the DfT found that a much smaller proportion are significantly exceeding limits.

Just 11 per cent travel at 80mph or over on the motorway, it found.

Increased speed limits for lorries may have improved road safety  According to ministers, the recent update to lorry speed limits has saved businesses millions of pounds a year and may have helped improve road safety. The aim was to improve delivery times and also reduce the gulf in travelling speeds of trucks and all other traffic, reducing the nee for overtakes.   A report shows that allowing heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes to travel at 50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual carriageways has possibly contributed to 'statistically significant' decrease in accidents. Roads Minister Michael Ellis said: 'I am pleased to see the improvement in safety while helping to unlock the UK’s potential – encouraging growth and enhancing productivity.  'Increasing the speed limit for lorries has helped companies save time and money, enabling them to re-invest this in their business and buying newer and greener vehicles.  'This move has also potentially improved road safety as it appears to have reduced the risks some drivers take when overtaking slow-moving vehicles.'  The report also shows that the number of speeding lorries has fallen by about 70 per cent. 

More surprising - and somewhat concerning - is that a greater number of motorists are willing to go 10mph over the limit in a residential area than outside of one.

While five per cent of drivers are 10mph over 30mph roads, just one per cent are 10mph over on 60mph routes. 

'For all vehicle types, compliance tended to be highest on national speed limit single carriageways and lowest on 30mph roads,' the report stated.

It also added that the percentage of vehicles complying with speed limits was higher on weekdays than on weekends. 

While the records claim that around half of motorists drive over limits, just 169,000 drivers in England and Wales were found guilty of speeding offences in 2018, with a conviction rate of 89 per cent.

Speeding was, in fact, the most in-decline offence of all driving transgressions last year, though they still accounted for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of all motoring convictions.

DfT records also showed that more than 1.32 million drivers attended speed awareness courses in the UK last year.  

It's the fourth year running that there have been more than 1 million speed awareness course attended by drivers.

AA president Edmund King said the speed compliance statistics - particularly those in 30mph zones - were 'extremely concerning' and called for more to be done to encourage drivers to adhere to restriction.

'Speed kills, so drivers should remember that lower limits on residential roads and are there for a very important reason.

'The next Prime Minister can become a champion of road safety, by reversing the cut to cops in cars who not only act as a deterrent, but also catch and penalise those with a heavy right foot.'  

The latest government figures show that exceeding speed limits was reported as a contributory factor for 4.8 per cent per cent (4,261) of accidents in 2017, the same proportion as in 2016 (4,545).

The share of fatal and serious accidents where exceeding the speed limit was reported as a contributory factor was 6.7 per cent (1,255) that year - which has remained stable since 2013.

Source: Thisismoney.co.uk

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