It is surely no mystery for fleets that speeding is one of the most dangerous driving behaviours and should be avoided at all costs. According to the latest studies, drivers who speed are 45% more likely to be involved in a near collision and 2.5 times (250%) more likely to run stop signs, change lanes in an unsafe manner, and be distracted while driving.
According to the UK-based charity Brake, breaking the speed limit or travelling too fast for conditions is recorded as a contributory factor in almost one in four (24%) of fatal crashes in Britain. As for Ireland, data from a past RSA campaign named “The faster the speed, the bigger the mess” cites speeding as the biggest contributing factor to road deaths in the Republic of Ireland and accounts for 29% fatalities.
Apart from being a risky driving behaviour, the bottom line is that speeding also effects fuel consumption as the mpg performance for drivers who speed is generally 2.7% lower than all other drivers. Fuel waste is not the only consequence of speeding: it impacts on wear and tear and increases the number of vehicle repairs, potential accidents and injuries, insurance premiums go up and speeding fines also have quite an effect, hence the reason why fleets should consider any measure to eliminate speeding.
According to the results of a study carried out by the global market and opinion research specialist Ipsos MORI together with the Institute for Transport Studies of the University of Leeds and funded by the UK Government, motorists who go on speed awareness courses instead of accepting penalty points and a fine are significantly less likely to reoffend. Reoffending rates were estimated to be reduced by up to 23% for those that completed a course, during the six months following their participation. After three years, the reduction in reoffending rates was up to 18%.
Speed Awareness Courses are an option for moderate speeding offenders in place of penalty points and financial penalties.
The data, although limited, indicates with reasonable certainty that the course per se is the primary factor in reducing the rates of re-offense rather than the possibility that the offenders who choose the course are the type of personality who are least likely to be repeat offenders anyway. The positive outcome of the course in reducing re-offences was noticeable as long as study lasted, which was three years.
The study also revealed that drivers who were involved in a collision leading to injury and police action were more likely to re-offend by breaking the speed limit again.
The authors of the study conclude that the courses reduce the likelihood of re-offence and various other studies indicate that speeding is directly proportional to collision rate, therefore it is reasonable to assume that the courses promote a safer approach to driving and less chances of collision as an indirect consequence.
