Majority of company car drivers knowingly break speed limits
06 Oct 2016 Author: Neil Thomason
RAC research has revealed that 88% of company car drivers admit to speeding on the motorway – a 7% increase on 2015.
Traffic motorway 40mph - PC - Highways Agency
The findings, part of the RAC’s Report on Motoring 2016, also reveal that almost half of company car drivers said they break the speed limit on motorways on most journeys, compared to only 26% of private motorists.
In total, 51% of company car drivers saying they typically drive at 80mph on motorways - this is also an increase on 2015 figures, by 5%.
The statistics somewhat go hand-in-hand with the beliefs of those surveyed - nearly three quarters (71%) think that the current motorway speed limit is inappropriate for the road and that it should be increased to 80mph.
As such, the company car driver’s compulsion to speed is not as widespread on more high risk routes such as country roads. Of those surveyed only 5% travel over 60mph, and in 20mph urban area zones up to two-thirds of company car drivers keep within the limits.
speeding
Commenting on the findings, Jenny Powley, corporate business sales director at RAC Business, said that the Report on Motoring 2016 reveals some worrying upward trends: “Knowingly breaking the speed limit is a dangerous approach to driving, whether you think you can justify it or not, and the risks associated with speeding far outweigh the time saved.
“A key way in which companies can respond to this growing problem is to make the most of telematics technology to identify high risk drivers and journeys and use the data to inform their staff training.
“Encouraging better driving behaviour will not only result in safer roads, but also enable significant savings on the cost of fuel and wear and tear on vehicles.”
The findings come poorly timed following the European Day Without A Road Death on 21 September, and with unsafe and congested motorways becoming a daily occurrence for most it appears that serious driver re-education needs to be a priority for many businesses with fleets.
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Fleet news RAC Fleet Road Safety
It'd be really interesting if we had the 85th%ile figures for the same roads.