High fuel prices and the cost of living crisis could be leading to a fall in the number of drivers speeding on Britain’s roads.
Analysis by Select Car Leasing of figures from the DVLA have found the number of motorists prosecuted for so-called ‘SP30’ – ‘exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road’ – offences was down more than 30% last year compared with 2021.
The data, which came from a Freedom of Information request submitted by Select, are specifically for speeding offences on a public road that isn’t a motorway. It says the statistics also highlight that the number of speeding drivers was at its lowest level for four years – which it says is “the most promising numbers in terms of road safety since 2018”.
The company says it reckons this could be down to drivers being increasingly wary of speed cameras while also slowing down to get as many miles out of a tank of fuel as possible, as prices at the pumps remain high.
Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, said: “These numbers seem to back up what a lot of our staff and customers are saying – people in general seem to be slowing down.
“While there have been a series of police and charity campaigns to raise awareness, they’ve never previously had the effect of reducing the number of speeding convictions to this extent.
“So there must be other factors at play, and the most obvious is the high cost of fuel still affecting British motorists.
“Last summer, the average cost of a full tank of diesel rose above £100 for the first time. Even though prices have come down slightly, motorists are still being hit hard at the pumps.
“However, there is one potential positive to come out of the situation – cutting down the number of reckless drivers wilfully exceeding the speed limit, therefore making our roads safer.”
The DVLA stats show that the number of SP30 convictions for 2022 were projected at 607,231, compared with 841,107 in 2021.
The most recent figure was also much lower than those for 2020 (731,020) and 2019, when 801,695 motorists were hit with SP30 prosecutions.
(Picture – Yay Images)
