National road safety charity Brake this morning released data showing that men are three times more likely to drive above 100mph than women, with more than 1 in 4 men admitting it.
Their national study, released today to launch the Brake Road Safety Week, revealed that more than a quarter (28%) male drivers admit to speeding above 100mph, compared to just 1 in 10 (9%) for women.
1 in 3 (33%) 25-34 year old drivers say they have driven above 100mph, while 1 in 3 (32%) of all drivers have also been in a vehicle exceeding 100mph.
Just yesterday (Sunday, November 15) a driver was clocked doing 145mph by police on the M5 in Devon.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is the national APCC lead on road safety and has strong words for anyone who thinks travelling at such speeds is acceptable.
“Our community is fed up with people flouting traffic laws when behind the wheel of a car and putting our lives at risk,” she said.
“Road crashes leave people’s lives devastated and we must do everything within our powers to stop them, and this includes clamping down on those who feel it’s OK to travel at ridiculous speeds.
“My recent survey on road safety showed that over 70% of respondents witness this happening either daily or weekly where they live.
“There is a reason speed limits exist, they’re not there just to annoy you – they are there to protect you and everyone around you. Ignoring them is simply unacceptable, which is why I believe fines issued to speeding motorists should be doubled in order to provide a greater deterrent.”
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is part of the Vision Zero South West Partnership which aims to completely eliminate all crashes resulting in fatal and serious injuries within the next 20 years.
Last week analysis from Vision Zero revealed that traffic across Devon had reduced by between 30-40% since the new lockdown started on November 5. However, it’s feared that quieter roads in the region will lead to increased speeding and more serious collisions as a result.
Commissioner Hernandez said: “While this second lockdown is not quite as stringent as the first, we are already seeing substantially fewer vehicles out and about compared to ‘normal’ times - but that mustn’t be seen as an excuse to treat our roads as a racetrack.
“In the last lockdown we still saw too many serious and fatal crashes on our roads, the impacts of which are devastating for everyone involved.
“I know there is a temptation to drive faster when there are no other vehicles around, but rest assured police officers will be out on our road networks keeping a keen eye out for anyone driving too fast or dangerously.”
Commissioner Hernandez has also expressed concern about an increase in under qualified delivery drivers on our roads.
It’s understood that some online stores have recently recruited many more delivery drivers to help meet the demands of the second lockdown, while many high street shops are closed.
Commissioner Hernandez said: “I am concerned that these newly hired drivers are not adequately qualified, insured or prepared to be travelling as much as they are. We have had reports of delivery drivers speeding in residential areas and travelling in vehicles which appear to be unroadworthy.
“As I have said, our officers will remain vigilant on the roads at this time, so I would urge anyone using the roads of Devon and Cornwall to be mindful and do so safely to protect everyone during this difficult time.”
For more information about Vision Zero South West, visit the Facebook page here or our Twitter page here.