High-mileage drivers urged to slow down

High-mileage drivers are most likely to think speed cameras have little impact

An investigation carried out by the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Drive and Survive division questioned hundreds of drivers who cover more than 13,000 miles per year, and found that 27% believe speed cameras have not benefited road safety.

That compares to figures of 20% and 16% among drivers who cover ‘medium’ (3,000-12,999) mileages and ‘low’ (2,999 miles and less).

Some 60% of the high-mileage drivers, who are often driving as part of their job, think that there are ‘other reasons’ why speed cameras are installed, with the chief explanation being to make money for local authorities or police forces.

The IAM is linking these attitudes to what it believes is a greater tendency for high-mileage drivers to break the speed limit.

In a separate study in Spring, it discovered that 86% of fleet operators have reported an accident among their ranks in the past 12 months.

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “It is clear that there is a very big task when it comes to making high-mileage driver see the worth of measures to reduce overspeeding. While we know that speeding is not the only cause of accidents and injuries, it is one of the major ones.

“Employers need to work with their employees to ensure that they appreciate the part they play in making our roads safer.

“The figures we have found show the great extent to which high-mileage and company drivers are involved in incidents. Therefore this educational task needs to happen sooner rather than later.”