A recent survey has found that almost 1 in 8 motorists admit to speeding within the past week, with the AA warning of the potential dangers of such behaviour.
In response to an AA Car Insurance survey of over 3,000 motorists, 12.13% of those surveyed admitted that they had broken the speed limit on at least one occasion in the week before the survey was conducted.
Meanwhile, a further 12.72% stated that they had broken the speed limit in the past month, bringing the total of offending motorists within the past month to just under 1 in 4.
According to the survey, male drivers were more likely to have broken the speed limit recently. In relation to their driving behaviour during the past 7 days, 15.18% of male drivers admitted to having broken the speed limit on at least one occasion compared to 8.37% of women.
“Speeding is a major problem on Irish roads and a direct contributing factor to many of the accidents we see on a daily basis from minor collisions up to and including those resulting in one or more fatalities. Despite knowing how dangerous this behaviour is, there remains a cohort of motorists who choose to ignore the message to slow down and, in doing so, put other road users at risk,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “While Ireland does have a problem with poorly set limits on many roads across the country, motorists can’t decide for themselves which limits to adhere to and which to ignore. Instead, we all have a responsibility to drive within the laws of the land and doing so will play a direct role in keeping our roads safe for all users, whether they’re motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.”
The survey also found that mobile phone use remains a persistent issue on Irish roads.
When asked to self-report on their own behaviour, 6.38% of those surveyed admitted to using a phone while driving within the week prior to the survey with a further 4.26% stating they had done so in the past month. However, when asked to assess other motorists’ behaviour, 57.98% of those surveyed stated they had seen another driver using a handheld device or mobile while driving within the past 7 days.
“1 in 10 motorists admitting to using their phone while driving in the past month is a worrying statistic on the face of it, but given the number of motorists who report seeing other drivers using a phone the actual percentage of those texting or using a phone at the wheel is likely to be much higher,” Faughnan added. “It only takes a split second of lapsed concentration for you to find yourself involved in a collision with another road user. Ultimately, putting your own safety and that of other road users at risk simply to reply to a message that could wait until you get home or to work isn’t worth it.”
