AA speed limit research

“It is very concerning that many drivers do not know the UK speed limits. When a car travels at high speed, the driver has less time to identify hazards and react to what is happening around them, creating a serious danger on our roads. It’s important to remember that there is a lot more to learning to drive than just developing practical skills. It is my belief that the driving industry has a responsibility to teach young people the importance of cognitive skill development and the need to learn the rules of the road in order to ensure road safety.

“Research shows that excessive speed contributes to 24 per cent of collisions in which someone is killed, with 15 per cent of crashes resulting in a serious injury.* A pedestrian who is hit by a car travelling at between 30 mph and 40 mph is between 3.5 and 5.5 times more likely to be killed than if hit by a car travelling at below 30 mph, making education around speed limits vital to reducing road casualties.*

“It is promising that young drivers have greater awareness of dual-carriageway and single carriageway speed limits than over 65s and this is no doubt a reflection of the increasing quality of driving tuition today. The number of accidents involving young people however shows that there is still a long way to go and this is why RED’s focus is on developing safer drivers in the long term through the combination of both practical and cognitive skill development.”

* Think! Road Safety: http://www.stoppingdistances.org.uk/facts/speed.htm

Comment from Ian McIntosh, CEO, RED Driving School