Latest Figures Show An Increase In Road Deaths In 2022.
Friday, 8. September 2023
50% of car drivers broke the speed limit on 30mph roads in 2022, according to newly-released figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).
The figures are based on speed data from DfT automatic traffic counters, chosen to represent ‘free flow’ traffic speeds by excluding data from locations where driver behaviour might be affected by factors such as junctions, hills, sharp bends, and speed cameras.
The figures show that 50% of cars exceeded the limit on roads with 30mph limits, compared with 45% on motorways, and 11% on national speed limit single carriageways.
The DfT said that compliance with speed limits in 2022 was slightly higher than in 2021, which it said could be partly due to lower traffic levels in the previous year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It said the 2022 figures were broadly similar to those seen from 2011 to 2019.
The data also showed that the average car speed under free flow conditions was just below the speed limit on motorways, at 69mph, at the speed limit exactly on 30mph roads, and well under the speed limit on national speed limit single carriageways, at 51mph.
Reacting to the figures, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “It’s concerning to see that every year half of drivers exceed the limit on 30mph roads, with more than a fifth (22%) last year driving more than five miles an hour too fast.
“The implications of speeding on these roads are likely to be greater than on faster roads, not least as they’re generally in areas with more pedestrians and cyclists.
“One possible explanation for why speed limit compliance is so much worse compared to other roads is that drivers may be used to looking for speed limit signs, which are much less prevalent on 30mph roads as generally speaking the presence of streetlights indicates the limit is 30mph. While drivers should know this, perhaps there is a case for the use of more ‘repeater’ signs in 30mph areas so there is no doubt.”
Giving his reaction, Nextbase head of road safety Bryn Brooker said: “It’s good news that speed limit compliance ticked up slightly in 2022, but still disappointing just how many motorists aren’t obeying the rules. There seems to be a bit of a herd issue here – since about half of motorists are speeding in 30mph zones, people match their speed to those around them.
“Speed limits exist for a reason. The difference between 30mph and 40mph might not seem huge, but if something goes wrong that speed makes a huge difference: a pedestrian hit at 30mph has an 80% chance of surviving, a pedestrian hit at 40mph has just a 10% chance of surviving.
“Given that most of the speeding was within this zone, this is an area British motorists really need to improve on.” By Graham Hill Thanks To Business Car.
