- Latest Department for Transport (DfT) statistics has laid bare Britain’s speeding problem.
- Up to 18.3 million motorists could be breaking the speed limit on 30 miles per hour (mph) roads.
- TrackDays.co.uk is urging motorists tempted to put the pedal to the metal on race circuits, not public roads.
A leading driving experience provider, TrackDays.co.uk, is urging motorists to save the speed for the racetrack in the wake of research conducted by the Department for Transport (DfT), which has worryingly revealed that potentially millions of UK motorists are breaking the speed limit on Britain’s roads.
Latest DfT figures, from a study of 2021 vehicle speed compliance, used Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) to observe hundreds of thousands of cars and HGVs on Britain’s roads. They discovered that over half (51 per cent) of car drivers travelled in excess of the designated speed limit on 30 mile per hour (mph) roads. This means that of the 35.9 million people with a full driving licence in the UK, potentially 18.3 million drivers could be breaking the speed limit.
But it’s not just those driving cars who are guilty of breaking the speed limit, with just under half (44 per cent) of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers also found to be guilty of driving too fast on 30mph roads. Meanwhile, over a half (52 per cent) of light commercial vehicle (LCV) drivers were also caught driving too fast.
And although speed compliance is more likely to occur on motorways, with the average free flow speed for cars clocking in just under the national speed limit at 69 mph, worryingly, over one third (35 per cent) of cars are still driving more than 5 per cent above the limit, according to the same DfT study.
This, TrackDays.co.uk, warns is a worrying trend, which should be addressed with tougher punishments and smarter educational initiatives. Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, commented: “Excessive speed kills or injures thousands of road users every year, and yet latest DfT speed statistics have once again laid bare that Britain still has a very serious speeding problem. We would call on the government to do more to tackle this issue once and for all, whether that be through sterner deterrence or speed education courses.
“When you balance the thrill of speed against the prospect of punishment from the authorities and most importantly, the risk of your own, and other road users’ safety, then speeding is simply not worth it. That’s why we will always urge drivers to save the speed for the racetrack, where, in a safe environment, thrill seekers can test cars to the limit, under the tutelage of a trained supervisor.”
To learn more about TrackDays.co.uk’s range of driving experience packages, which include high-speed rides in supercar brands such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens, visit www.trackdays.co.uk.