Almost a fifth of drivers admit to driving more than 100mph, survey says
Written by News on 16/11/2020
One in six (18%) drivers have admitted to driving in excess of 100mph, a new survey has shown.
For people between 25 and 34, that number rises to 33%, and to 28% for men, according to the poll of 2,000 UK drivers for the road safety charity Brake.
It found the top speed driven was 180mph on a motorway in Nottinghamshire, while the highest speed driven over the limit was 152mph in a 30 zone in London.
According to the Department for Transport, 44 people were killed and another 143 were injured in crashes where speeding was a contributing factor in 2019.
Brake director of campaigns Joshua Harris said: “There is no excuse for breaking the speed limit and these figures highlight the grossly excessive speeds of some drivers who show complete disregard for the law and people’s safety.
“None of us should be put in danger by the high-risk behaviour of others when we’re getting about on roads, and that’s why, this Road Safety Week, we are asking everyone to join us in our call that there is no need to speed.
“Many drivers drift over limits by mistake but our research shows that a shockingly large number of drivers, particularly men, break speed limits excessively.
Roads minister Baroness Vere said: “Speeding is illegal, reckless and puts people’s lives at unnecessary risk.
“For this reason, there are tough penalties and strict enforcement measures in place for those who disobey the law.”
Neil Greig, policy and research director at charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “There is no excuse for these ridiculously high speeds which are symptom of pure criminality rather than simply bad driving.
“The majority of UK drivers understand the need for speed limits and do their best to stick with them.
“Regrettably appealing to the better nature of the sort of drivers highlighted in these terrible case studies is not going to work.
“For really high-end speeding, the best solution, in IAM RoadSmart’s view, is high-profile policing of the type we saw in London during lockdown.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Almost a fifth of drivers admit to driving more than 100mph, survey says
