KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021
We strongly recommend viewing KBzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Welcome to the
KBzine
Almost nine out of 10 (88%) company car drivers admit to speeding on the UK’s motorways, and almost half (48%) break the speed limit on motorways on most journeys, (up 7% on last year’s figures) according to RAC Business research released today.
That’s quite a lot, isn’t it? And add to those numbers the myriad of drivers from overseas, who no doubt keep up with the traffic flow, (as long as there aren’t any hold-ups) and it’s clear that motorists on our roads are travelling at quite a pace, aren’t they?
Apparently, just over half (51%) typically drive at 80mph on motorways, while 7% drive at 90mph. This is also an increase on 2015 figures when 46% confessed to driving at 80mph and 5% to 90mph.
Some 60% of company car drivers think it is totally acceptable to travel at 80mph on motorways and a third (31%) think the current speed limit is inappropriate for the road. In line with that, nearly three quarters (71%) believe the motorway speed limit should be increased to 80mph.
We all lead such busy lives these days and are under pressure work-wise to achieve so much more throughout the course of the day, that driving as fast as we can safely get away with, without getting caught, is quite a temptation, isn’t it?
RAC Business reminds us that driving at 80mph instead of 70mph will only save us six seconds a mile, or 10 minutes over 100 miles, and that driving at 80mph can use 25% more fuel than driving at 70mph.
That extra 10 minutes saved for every 100 miles of travel, when breaking the legal maximum speed of 70mph, still seems tempting – particularly so for salespeople who these days seem to spend dangerously long hours on the road… but looked at in terms of extra fuel use, it’s not such a good idea – particularly if it’s your own business that’s paying for you to be on the road. Knowing the hundreds of miles some of those in this industry clock up over the course of a week, the impact of speeding on fuel efficiency, can be enormous!
Whether you’re one of our many overseas readers, who drive for business on the UK’s roads, or whether you live here, do tell us whether you think motorway speed limits should be increased and if you’re one of those that regularly breaks the law…
Yours,
7th October 2016