A recent survey has shown that drivers admit to driving too closely to other vehicles and go above speed limits when driving.
The figures, which have been published by Brake road safety charity and Direct Line Insurance, demonstrate that drivers are taking risks on the roads and that the worst offenders of tailgating and speeding are males with 69 % of saying that they break the 70 mph speed limit by 10 mph or more. Advice from the organisation says that there needs to be a two second gap in between vehicles and that this time gap should be increased to four seconds in poor weather and applied to all roads and not just motorways.
Road Accident Statistics
60 % of the 1,000 drivers surveyed said they have broken the speed limit on motorways. More than half said they did not leave the required two second gap yet many of those surveyed said they worry about others tailgating. Statistics also show that crashes which occur on roads where there is a 70 mph speed limit were more likely to end in death and that in 2012 there were 88 deaths and 654 serious injuries on the motorways in the UK.
The Deputy CEO of Brake, Julie Townsend pointed out that although it was clear drivers were worried about someone tailgating behind them a lot of drivers were also guilty of doing it themselves. She said: “There are no two ways about it: ignore the two-second rule or the speed limit on motorways and you’re putting yourself and others at risk of a horrific crash. Traffic laws are not just for other people: all drivers can help make our motorways safer and prevent needless tragedies by committing to keep your distance and stay under speed limits, including temporary lower limits.”
Simon Sheldon-Wilson from the Highways Agency said that his organisation was committed to helping to reduce the amount of fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. He said: “Congestion on the strategic road network is estimated to cost the economy £3 billion each year, 25 per cent of which is caused by incidents. That’s why we remind drivers of the dangers of tailgating and support Brake’s advice to keep a safe distance from the car in front and to adhere to fixed and variable speed limits.”
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