Motoring offences: The Need for Speed?

Would you steal a car? Or would you smash your car into Dixon’s and grab a new high-definition TV? Probably not. But you might break the law through letting your speed sneak up to 75, 80 or even 90 when you’re cruising along the motorway...

In fact, a new RAC survey shows that 74% of us think that, at 70mph, the speed limit is too low on British motorways. But does this mean that we are justified in breaking the law? Statistics suggest that this is increasingly the case, with the number of motoring offenses recorded almost doubling between 1988 and 2006 and the bulk of these being related to excess speed.

A lot of people think that the speed limit on motorways is too low: there are plenty of blogs dedicated to the cause, and there’s even a facebook group advocating an increase in the limit to 80mph. Those against the idea claim that:

• Places with faster limits (the autobahn) have much higher fatalities on their roads.
• Our road system is nearly at capacity: we’d just get to jams quicker!
• Slip roads are designed on the basis that cars leave the motorway at 70; if the limit is increased they would all have to be extended.

An increase in the motorway speed limit doesn’t seem to be on the government’s radar either, so it seems likely to be an argument that will rumble on and in the meantime – if you do push it - then bear in mind that you’re more likely to see those blue flashing light in your mirrors than ever...

So, if you are driving on the motorway then watch your speed, but also do the right thing and make sure your car is serviced and safe. A poorly maintained car – regardless of speed – is a genuine hazard when travelling on the motorway.

Another interesting point to come out of the RAC’s survey, is that although 74% of us think that 70mph is too low for motorways, opinions are very different when you ask about speed limits on other types of road:

• 83% of respondents to the RAC survey thought that the 30mph limit on urban roads was ‘about right’, and
• 90% of us think that the limit on country roads is ‘about right’ at 50-60mph.

Which suggests that we perhaps see urban areas and unpredictable roads as places where we should maybe trust the government over ourselves and stick to cautious limits... Maybe the fact that a majority of the (at times pretty harrowing) road safety advertisements on TV focus on the dangers of exceeding speed limits in 30mph zones has altered our collective consciousness about speeding in urban areas.

However you look at it, it is an interesting aspect of modern society that a significant number of us think that it is okay to break the law and exceed the legal speed limit where we wouldn’t consider crossing the legal line under any other circumstances...