According to Co-operative Insurance, many British drivers are risking themselves and others because of their 'couldn't care less' attitude to speeding.
Indeed, research from the group has shown that nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of drivers admit to speeding once a day or more, while almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they go over the limit a few times a week. Of everybody questioned by the firm, only 27 per cent said they do not speed on Britain's roads.
However, despite a general lackadaisical attitude toward their own flouting of the law, many motorists said that the speed at which other people drive was a cause for concern. In fact, the group claimed that around three-quarters of people admitted they worried about other people driving too fast. This, it was said, was roughly the same proportion of people who admitted to speeding themselves.
And although many people seem to view speeding to lightly when they are driving, according to the Co-operative speeding is a major problem on Britain's roads. The latest numbers from the Department of Transport quoted by the firm indicated that in the 12 months before March this year, 244,770 people were either killed or injured as a result of car accidents, a lot of which were caused by drivers who were speeding.
In addition to the threat posed to other people, speeding motorists could find they are putting their financial security in danger as well. The punitive fines imposed on those caught speeding could well jeopardise peoples ability to meet mortgage and personal loan repayments, in addition to household bills. Also, anybody who lands themselves with a speeding conviction are likely to see an increase in their car insurance premiums.
David Neave, general insurance director at Co-operative Insurance, remarked: "The fast pace at which we live today means that speeding has become common place in British society. People often dont think about the dangers of driving a few miles an hour over the limit. But that can mean the difference between having a safe journey or a collision - and whether you survive or not. As with drinking and driving, driving too fast reduces reaction times, and therefore impacts on the drivers ability to deal with hazards. There needs to be a shift in peoples attitudes to speeding, so it becomes as socially unacceptable as drink driving"
The group pointed out that with new government measures coming into effect which will track driving speeds over stretches of motorway, making it difficult to avoid being caught, many drivers may soon be forced to reassess their driving habits or risk paying a heavy price. In addition to heavy fines, people may also find themselves out of a job if they are dealt a custodial sentence. In such circumstances, the ability to pay off mortgages, loans and other spending commitments may be severely hindered.
Receiving a fine for speeding may prove particularly troublesome for young males, as the AA recently pointed out that they already pay twice as much for car insurance than their female counterparts.
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