Motorway on a sunny day

More company car drivers speeding on motorways


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Drivers of company cars regularly exceed the speed limit on motorways, according to a new survey by RAC Business.

The organisation found that 88% of company car drivers admitted to speeding on motorways, a 7% increase on figures from last year. What's more, almost half (48%) of company car drivers surveyed said they break the speed limit on motorways on most journeys, compared to only 26% of private motorists.

The figures come from the RAC's Report on Motoring 2016, which also revealed that 51% of company car drivers typically drive at 80mph on motorways. A small minority, 7%, admitted to driving at 90mph.

A motorway at duskWhat's more, 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, RAC Business said. Nearly three quarters (71%) believe the motorway speed limit should be increased to 80mph.

Jenny Powley, corporate business sales director at RAC Business, urged caution among business drivers who don't see a problem with breaking the speed limit.

She said: "Knowingly breaking the speed limit is a dangerous approach to driving, whether you think you can justify it or not, and the risks associated with speeding far outweigh the time saved. After all, driving at 80mph instead of 70mph will only save you six seconds a mile, or 10 minutes over 100 miles.

"It's also worth considering the impact of speeding on fuel efficiency. According to the Department for Transport, driving at 80mph can use 25% more fuel than driving at 70mph, so this can have a significant impact on the business' bottom line."

Discussing what companies do to address this growing problem, Powley said that telematics technology can help identify high risk drivers and journeys, and the data can feed into staff training.

"It's also really important to not just focus on motorways," she continued. "ROSPA data shows us that around two-thirds of crashes in which people are killed or injured occur on roads with a speed limit of 30mph or less, so it is essential that company car drivers are on high alert throughout their journeys, not just at the highest speeds."

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