RAC warns over 'worrying' trend seven in 10 drivers guilty of

driving car on highway, close up of hands on steering wheel
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The RAC has outlined a series of concerning trends among UK drivers - and people are paying with their lives. The motoring company has laid bare the truth about speeding on UK roads in a new report.

And it claims the majority of drivers see speed limits on UK roads as a target, rather than a maximum. It comes as part of a wider reporter showing a whopping 81% of drivers admit to regularly witnessing others excessively speeding on all types of roads.

A staggering 82% have noticed other motorists breaking the limit excessively on motorways and high-speed dual carriageways, while 80% say it's a common sight on 30mph or 20mph roads.

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The report lays bare the cost of speeding on our streets. In 2023, 'exceeding the speed limit' was a contributing factor in 304 (21%) fatal collisions.

The RAC's research into speed limit compliance saw the most significant increase on 20mph roads, with half of drivers confessing they've broken the limit, up from 46% just a year ago. This trend has been growing over time, with 36% of drivers in 2018 admitting they frequently or occasionally breached the 20mph limit. On motorways, drivers confess to breaking the limit more often than on any other type of road.

To combat speeding issues, 39% of those surveyed advocate for increased use of average-speed cameras, with radar-activated signs coming in second at 36%. Additionally, 31% of drivers are calling for clearer speed limit signage, and 30% believe that sat-navs or in-car systems should warn drivers when they're going too fast, a feature already included in many modern vehicles.

Less popular is the demand for more mobile speed cameras, desired by only 26%, while harsher penalties for speedsters have the support of just 21%. Rod Dennis from the RAC highlighted the gravity of the situation:

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He said: "It’s concerning that our research indicates excessive speeding has become so commonplace because the consequences are very severe – a fact borne out by government data showing it contributes to 21% of all fatal collisions.

"It is particularly worrying that so much excessive speeding observed by drivers appears to take place on 20mph and 30mph roads as this is where the greatest number of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders, are.

"We badly need to bring an end to excessive speeding to keep us all safe. The Government is working on the country’s first road safety strategy for many years, so we hope that tackling this will be treated as a priority."