Sticking to the speed limit and learning to love it

With speed cameras popping up at new locations across the UK every day and each flash spelling out a £60 fine and 3 points on your licence, there’s never been a better time to learn to stick to the speed limit.

Enlist the help of your engine

Modern cars often make for such a smooth ride that it’s difficult for us to appreciate how fast we’re travelling - no matter what the speedo says. By remaining in a low gear for as long as possible, you’ll be able to use your engine to effectively limit how fast you can go, cutting down on your likelihood of speeding.

Develop a thick skin

Lots of us speed due to the pressure put on us by other drivers. It’s often easier said than done, but the trick to learn to keep calm and ensure that you continue to drive safely despite what the car behind does.

 If you’re on a single carriageway, you need to have the confidence not to let a pursuing vehicle’s actions ruffle you, while staying poised in case they decide to overtake. On a dual carriageway or motorway, you should be able to move into the left-hand lane allowing them to pass safely.

Know your limits

At the time of taking your driving test, you’ll have been familiar with how to gauge a road’s speed limit and interpret the signs provided. Over time however, we tend to forget - conveniently or otherwise - so it’s worth taking the time and trouble to remind yourself of the following:

  • Roads with street lights and no speed limit signs have a 30mph limit
  • Single carriageways with a national speed limit sign have a 60mph limit
  • Dual carriageways with a national speed limit sign have a 70mph limit.

Sobering stats

While it doesn’t do to dwell on the dark side of driving, if the threat of fines, points on your licence and hikes in insurance aren’t enough to curb your appetite for speed, it’s worth taking a quick look at some of the UK’s road safety stats.

According to government figures, an average of nine people are killed on our roads each day. Although speed may not be the only contributing factor in many cases, cutting how fast we drive has been shown to dramatically decrease our chances of killing a pedestrian.

The following makes interesting, if sobering reading:

If you hit a pedestrian:

  • At 40mph, there's a 90% chance they’ll be killed
  • At 35mph, there’s a 50% chance they’ll die
  • At 30mph, they have an 80% chance of survival.