Half (50%) of car drivers broke the speed limit on 30mph roads compared to 45% on motorways and 11% on national speed limit single carriageway roads, new data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows.
Overall, speed limit compliance in 2022 was slightly higher than 2021, where lower levels of compliance may be partly attributed to the impact of the pandemic on lower traffic levels, it said.
However, vehicle speed limit compliance in 2022 has remained broadly similar when compared to vehicle speed limit compliance levels between 2011 and 2019, these years were not affected by the pandemic.
In 2022, the percentage of car drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 10mph was much lower than overall speeding, at 8% on motorways, 5% on 30mph roads and 1% on national speed limit single carriageway roads where the speed limit for cars is 60mph.
Car and motorcycle speed limit compliance levels tended to be highest on national speed limit single carriageways and lowest on 30mph roads.
The average car speed, under free flow conditions, was just under the speed limit on motorways (69mph), at the speed limit for 30mph roads and under the speed limit on national speed limit single carriageway roads (51mph).
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.
Edmund King, AA president, added: “With almost five people each day killed on our roads it is important that drivers respect the speed limits.
“Last month, more than half of drivers (53%) told us they felt 20mph roads work best when they applied to the streets of significant community importance such as schools and GP surgeries. However, speeds in 20mph zones were lower than in 30mph zones so overall they do reduce speed.
“What stands out in particular is tailgating: a fifth of cars don’t observe the two second gap between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. Having more cops in cars would help tackle this issue.”
The percentage of vans complying with the speed limit was 52% on motorways and 49% on 30mph roads.
On motorways, 48% of vans exceeded the speed limit compared to 51% on 30mph roads.
The percentage of vans exceeding the speed limit by over 10mph on 30mph roads was 6%, while 11% exceeded the speed limit on motorways by more than 10mph.
