Speeding

Drivers and riders who are travelling at inappropriate speeds – exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions – are more likely to be involved in a collision and their higher speed means the collision will cause more severe injuries, to themselves and/or to other road users.

What to do if you have concerns about speeding on local roads

What to do if you have concerns about speeding on local roads?

Your local council is responsible for setting local speed limits. You can find out how to contact them on the Government website.

If you have concerns about someone speeding then you can report the incident to the police, phone 101 or report the incident online.

How can I report an incident?

If you witness dangerous driving, you can report a bad driver to the police. Call 999 if the dangerous driving is in progress and you think that the driver could cause serious injury to themselves or others. If you are reporting after the incident, phone 101 or report the incident online.

If you have footage of the incident on a dashcam, you can submit this footage, too. Operation SNAP allows members of the public to submits photo or video evidence relating to traffic offences. It operates throughout Wales and through certain police force areas in England. You can find your local police force here.

Why is speeding dangerous?

Exceeding the speed limit and travelling too fast for the conditions were assigned by police officers as contributing to 27 per cent of fatal collisions in 2022, as well as 14 per cent of collisions in which a serious injury occurred and 12 per cent of total collisions.

In Great Britain in 2022, 303 people were killed in collisions involving someone exceeding the speed limit, with a further 2,180 people seriously injured and 5,648 slightly injured. A further 131 people died when someone was travelling too fast for the conditions.

Inappropriate speed also magnifies other driver errors, such as driving too close or driving when tired or distracted, increasing the chances of these types of behaviour causing a collision.

Do most crashes happen on high-speed roads?

Do most crashses happen on high-speed roads?

Two thirds of collisions in which people are killed or seriously and slightly injured happen on roads with a speed limit of 30mph or less.

Table 1: People killed or injured in collisions on GB roads in 2022, depending on speed limit.

Speed limit	Killed	Seriously injured	Slightly injured
20mph or less	68	3,192	18,453
30mph	532	13,890	69,727
All other roads (30mph+, including motorways)	1,111	10,949	17,558

Cyclists are also vulnerable in built-up areas, with more than half of cyclist deaths (59 of 97) and serious cyclist casualties (3,969 of 4,469) occurring on built-up roads.

This is why the Department for Transport encourages traffic authorities to consider the introduction of more 20mph limits and zones, over time, in urban areas and built-up village streets that are primarily residential, to ensure greater safety for cyclists and pedestrians. RoSPA also encourages planners to pay attention to lower speeds in built-up areas, with active travel like walking and cycling promoted as a positive option.

Active Travel

The Hub is divided into different sections for each audience, as well as having a section dedicated to policy and research. Find out more about our Active Travel Hub here:

Active Travel Hub

What can be done to tackle speeding?

A coordinated speed management strategy must include education, training and publicity (ETP), highway engineering and design, vehicle engineering, and enforcement measures.

Based on our experience in fleet safety, we also know that employers have a powerful role to play in influencing employee driver attitudes and behaviour. Ultimately, all drivers and riders need to be persuaded that driving at inappropriate speeds is not a minor, technical offence that everyone commits, but a serious, dangerous and anti-social activity.

Active Travel

The Hub is divided into different sections for each audience, as well as having a section dedicated to policy and research. Find out more about our Active Travel Hub here:

Active Travel Hub

We also have a range of practical solutions for professionals involved in road safety management, including vehicle-activated speed signs and road safety engineering training. Our fleet driver training and the work of our volunteer RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders groups also address speeding.