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94% motorists admit to breaking the speed limits

Speeding is one of the biggest dangers on our nation's roads with one in three road deaths being attributed to speed (1000 people every year*) and injuring thousands more each year.

Yet in a recent survey of more than 1,500 UK drivers by Direct Line car insurance, 94 per cent of motorists still admitted to speeding, with a third (33 per cent) of young drivers (18-29 year-olds) admitting to doing so regularly.

Motorists questioned gave a number of reasons for speeding, but close to six in 10 (57 per cent) drivers think it is okay to speed on empty roads and a quarter (24 per cent) think it's acceptable to speed when weather conditions are good.

Drivers also think it's acceptable to speed when:

· it's an emergency (33 per cent)
· they think the limit is set too low (24 per cent)
· there's less traffic around, for example, at night (21 per cent)

The research also revealed a surprising lack of knowledge about speed limits – despite motorists generally thinking they are experts. Almost all (93 per cent) motorists said they have a sound knowledge of speed limits, when in reality half of UK motorists (50 per cent) are unable to correctly identify the limit on a dual carriageway (70mph).

It is worth drivers knowing the speed limits as the fines incurred if motorists do accidentally speed can be significant.

For example, if motorists are caught travelling 15mph over the speed limit on a motorway they could end up with a £2500 fine. Motorists caught doing over 100mph on a motorway will find themselves with an automatic ban.

Drivers in North Scotland are the worst at flouting speed limits, with one in three (31 per cent) doing so regularly.

In contrast, motorists in the South West are the most likely to obey speed limits with just one in 10 (11 per cent) regularly exceeding the limit.

Direct Line's Car spokeswoman, Emma Holyer, said:

"The lack of knowledge amongst motorists is very surprising – particularly that so many don't even know the speed limits on some UK roads. Not only is speeding dangerous but as many motorists know to their expense, speed cameras exist across the UK and the points on your licence and fine incurred can be hefty.

"In today's high powered cars, it's easy to lose concentration and go over the limits and it may be that many motorists are speeding without realising it. This is further backed up by research we conducted with Brake, the road safety charity, which found that 96% of drivers believe speeding outside a school is very dangerous, and a further 72% that speeding in a 30 zone was dangerous in itself - so it is in your best interests to keep an eye on your speedometer and keeping speeds down."

Further information on Direct Line go to www.directline.com, or call 0845 246 8888.

-ends-

Notes to Editors:

* Source: Department for Transport, September 30, 2004.
** There are 33.8 million drivers in the UK (Census data, 2001) and according to the You Gov findings one
per cent of motorists have had an accident as a result of a driving too fast or over the speed limit 0.01 x 33,809,493 = 338,094
*** At 35mph a driver is twice as likely to kill someone than at 30mph - ROSPA inappropriate speed policy statements – May 2002

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NATIONAL DATA

REGIONAL SPEEDERS

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