More than four out of five of UK drivers would back the use of speed cameras to target speeding drivers outside schools, but drivers are less accepting of a clampdown on motorway speeding.
The research – revealed by IAM RoadSmart for Road Safety Week – found 82% of drivers are in favour of using speed cameras to automatically fine drivers travelling more than 10mph over the limit near schools.
But latest analysis for the IAM’s annual Safety Cultural Study of 2,000 motorists found only 63% of drivers support the use of cameras to detect those driving 10mph above the limit on motorways.
And just under half of all motorists (46%) think it is acceptable to drive at 80mph on the motorway, rising to 56% among those who cover more than 10,000 miles on the road each year. As many as one in four respondents believe it is acceptable to drive on motorways at speeds greater than 80mph.
Neil Greig, policy and research director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It is reassuring to see that the majority of motorists we surveyed are in favour of using speed cameras to improve road safety outside schools. Speeding in towns may be universally disliked, but it is clear that we still have a long way to go before the same message gets through on motorways.
“Speeding causes more than 4,000 casualties each year on UK roads – that’s an average of 11 people a day killed or seriously injured. So it is extremely disappointing to see such apparent acceptance of speeding on motorways, and we need to do more to create a fundamental shift in attitude and behaviour here.”
