Proposed speed limit increase on UK safest roads

Published: 17/06/2011

According to a recent report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), over 70 per cent of motorists believe the current UK motorway speed limit should be increased by at least 10mph¹. But would such a proposal turn our safest roads into accident hotspots?

It may surprise many but there are far fewer road traffic accidents on motorways than any other road type despite such roads taking 20 per cent of the UK’s total traffic. In the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Annual Report, only 5% of reported road traffic casualties occurred on motorways².

60 per cent of the 2000 road users questioned in the IAM’s poll admitted to travelling over 70mph on motorways while 20 per cent confessed to driving over 80mph¹. This is conclusive with DfT reports which found 52 per cent and 16 per cent of motorists drove in excess of 70mph and 80mph respectively. But there are fears by increasing the speed limit on motorways to 80mph would simply be an excuse for motorists to drive at 90mph¹.

Excessive speed currently accounts for 16 per cent of fatal accidents, 7 per cent of severe accidents and 5 per cent of slight accidents while loss of control, a definite consequence of speed, caused 690 fatal, 3,843 severe and 14,657 slight accidents².

Neil Grieg, IAM Director of Policy and Research, said:

“Even though motorways are the safest roads, increasing the motorway speed limit is a controversial subject. This is why we want to see a trial to test its impact on road safety, fuel consumption and driver behaviour.”¹

Sources
¹Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) May 2011
²Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2009 Annual Report, Department of Transport

Content correct at time of publication