Why do we speed?
- We’re in a rush to get somewhere.
- We’ve driven on the same roads so we’re familiar with them.
- We’re not paying attention to the road or our speed, or sometimes distracted.
It becomes a habit
We might accelerate and change gears, with speed creeping up unintentionally.
We can find ourselves travelling in built-up areas in Hampshire at more than 30 mph.
We don’t always think of what it means.
If you cause an accident you will have to live with the emotional consequences of causing death or injury to others.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points added to your licence.
You could be disqualified from driving if you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of 3 years
And a little faster makes a big difference.
The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph than at 30mph.
How can we avoid speeding?
Keep it in third
Using third gear rather than fourth in 30mph zones will keep you mindful of your speed.
Safe at junctions
If you try to emerge onto a main road well over the speed limit, you’re more likely to make a mistake as it’s difficult to make a safe judgment.
Take your time to adjust your speed when you’re coming up to the junction so that you have time to make the right decisions. Before you turn out from a junction look right, left and right again, and then check for pedal cyclists and motorbikes. Even if it looks safe to emerge the situation can change very quickly, so keep checking until you are up to normal speed.
It’s a limit, not a target
The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at that speed in all conditions.
Expect the unexpected
You never know what’s around the corner. Brake before the bend, not on it. There could be a hazard you haven’t seen like a horse or a cyclist, so give yourself time to react, and slow down.
Driving on country lanes or in rural areas comes with different dangers. You need to concentrate on reading the road and think about potentially unexpected hazards.
When turning, brake before the bend, not into it. Look out for hidden dips, upcoming bends, blind summits and concealed entrances.
Always drive at a speed which will allow you to stop in a distance you can see to be clear.
Look out for cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. Make eye contact where possible to show you have seen them, use your indicators and look out for their signals.
Find out more
Look out for your mates
Young men are over-represented in speeding-related casualties. Think! have a series of clips –Be the mate who won’t speed – for social media and radio ads.