Drivers have been caught deliberately exceeding 20mph speed limits across the UK, putting fellow road users at serious risk.
Department for Transport data shows that 84 per cent of cars have been caught regularly exceeding 20mph, with more than half found to go more than 10mph over the limit.
The findings have revealed that five years from the wider rollout of 20mph zones throughout the UK, there’s been “virtually no improvement” in compliance.
This has now sparked fresh debate over whether the limits are working at all and whether they are making roads safer.
Imran Malek, corporate sales manager at DrivingExperience.com, said: “It’s shocking to see the level of speeding on 20mph roads.
“While they have caused division in some areas and among some drivers, we would urge all motorists to drive sensibly and observe speed limits, keeping thrills to the track with a driving experience.”
Additional insight showed that speeding in 20mph zones was far more common than on any other road type throughout the UK.
Less than half of vehicles have exceeded the 70mph speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways, as well as on single carriageways.
Reports found that 84 per cent of drivers regularly breached 20mph speed limits in the UK
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GETTYMr Imran added: “There’s clearly a sizeable proportion of vehicles flouting the 20mph speed limit, with some opposition arguing that there’s been a blanket approach when more targeted measures are required.
“Whatever the driving situation, it’s common courtesy to stay alert behind the wheel, ensuring all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, stay safe.”
Slower speed limits have become more common in the UK, with various authorities across England, Scotland and Wales implementing them.
Wales made 20mph the default speed limit on the majority of restricted and residential roads across the country in September 2023.
The Scottish Government aims to turn more roads into 20mph zones by the end of the year
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GETTYWhile the lower speeds aimed to reduce casualties and road fatalities, widespread fury and a landmark petition forced the Welsh Government to overturn the rule.
It allowed local authorities to revert speed limits back to 30mph if they could prove that the road remained equally safe while operating at a higher speed limit.
The Welsh Government stated: “We anticipate that most speed limit changes from 20mph to 30mph will be made on A and B roads, which are typically main or strategic roads.
“A 30mph speed limit could be set on roads if they are located outside city, town or village centres and away from places that attract frequent pedestrian and/or cyclist traffic or on roads with low housing density (less than 20 properties per km) and where if there are pedestrians and cyclists they are or could be segregated from motor traffic).”
Wales changed its laws in 2023 to ensure that almost all speed limits on restricted roads were 20mph
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PAThe Scottish Government announced plans last year to implement a national strategy to reduce the speed limit to 20mph on most built-up area roads by the end of 2024.
The Scottish Government said it was committed to making streets safer and to prioritising walking and cycling over vehicles.
Transport Scotland shared that many drivers fail to recognise the risks involved with speeding and the problems that can result from it.
It warned: “The speed of a vehicle directly influences the risk of a collision as well as the severity of injuries sustained, and the likelihood of death resulting from that collision. We know the average person is seven times more likely to die if they are hit with a vehicle at 30 mph than they are at 20 mph.”