According to research by Brake, the road safety charity, 72% of all motorists who took part in a recent survey reported that they normally drive at least 35mph or higher in a zone marked 30mph. Half of those who admitted to speeding stated that they did so on a daily basis or at least a weekly basis.
Mary Williams, the Brake chief executive, stated that among drivers there is a widespread complacency that leaves them believing they will be able to quickly stop if they are only a bit over the 30mph limit, but modern physics and science, along with the casualty figures explain that this is not the case.
Williams continued to say that a large percentage of these drivers would not ever drink or drug driving, but still do not think twice about risking lives when they speed. According to Williams, there need to be more anti-speeding campaigns, in order to educate citizens of the high damaging effects of speeding.
She also stated that there is no safe speed that someone can be hit, because a car can cause death or critical injuries at any speed, but lower speeds within communities can help increase the ability to stop in time. This is due to the fact that the faster a vehicle is driving, the larger the distance it takes to stop, with stopping differences almost tripling between 20mph to 40mph.
Williams also noted that in countries where the mandatory urban speed limit is 20mph, the child pedestrian death rates are much lower. Brake is asking that the UK government setting a similar mandatory limit in all suburban neighbourhoods.
