Nearly four in 10 UK drivers admit to speeding in areas where there are no speed cameras, a new survey suggests.
Carried out by Select Car Leasing, the survey of 1,200 drivers set out to understand attitudes and behaviours relating to driving and safety.
While 98% of respondents claimed to be ‘safe drivers’, 39% admitted to speeding in areas with no speed cameras.
43% admitted to driving with just one hand on the wheel, 37% to eating or drinking while driving, 34% to accelerating through amber lights and 22% to not using indicators.
In terms of mobile phones, 14% of respondents admitted to checking their device for messages while driving, 5% to texting and 5% to reading emails/accessing the internet.
Mark Tongue, director of Select Car Leasing, said: “Whilst most people are safe drivers, it’s clear from the driving habit data that many people are not as safe.”
The survey also suggests that the public view a broad range of new safety technology as important features on new vehicles.
56% of respondents said they wanted tyre pressure monitors on a new vehicle, 56% blind spot monitoring, 43% slippery surface detection, 41% forward collision warning and 39% autonomous emergency braking.
Mark Tongue said: “The new safety features and technologies being introduced by major manufacturers in 2018 are considerable and will undoubtedly help to reduce injuries and fatalities across UK roads.
“We are finding that so many more people are now choosing to lease a car rather than buy because it gives them access to the latest safety and technology features.
“Ultimately this means more people in newer safer cars, which can only benefit everyone on the roads.”
What a complete waste of my time reading this. I tried driving without taking one hand off the wheel. First gear does not make for good driving on the M23. I’m fully in favour of a balanced newsfeed but this tripe doesn’t warrant the space.
Ron Paterson, Horsham
+6
It depends how you view road safety. Great Britain is in the best 5 in the world for lowest statistics for road casualty fatalities per million population and per million vehicles.
https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7615#fullreport
Pat, Wales
+4
Opinion survey alert!! This one seems even more flawed than usual.
Hugh Jones
+9
With the survey showing that some 14% of 35 million drivers use their mobile phone while driving, presumably at least 5 times a day while driving 365 days a year.
That is some 9 billion mobile phone driving offences a year.
Yet only 12,000 offenders prosecuted what does this tell the public.
Keith
+8
Where do I start with this?
1) It’s not an offence to drive with one hand off the steering wheel. Both hands removed from the steering wheel however as far as I am aware, would be seen as DWDCA.
2) Eating/drinking whilst driving is also not an offence, unless the action of eating or drinking puts the driver in a position to not maintain full control of the vehicle.
3) I always thought it was advised to not use indicators, where not necessary? Or are we to forgo the act of checking our mirrors to look out for road users (including pedestrians) and just indicate and manoeuvre blindly?
But at least I now know what sweet, sweet deals are on offer at a certain leasing company!
David Weston, Corby
+17