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More haste, more speed

13th April 2006, Page 22
13th April 2006
Page 22
Page 22, 13th April 2006 — More haste, more speed
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The DfTis latest figures show that trucks are still speeding on dual and single carriageways, and even in built-up areas. So do speed limits need to be changed, or simply enforced more rigorously?

Recently published figures from the Department for Transport reveal that in 2005 there was a "very high incidence" of trucks exceeding the speed limit on dual and singlecarriageway roads.

This is certainly no understatement.According to Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain 2005, a huge 86% of artics on non-built-up dual carriageways — those where a 30mph or 40mph limit does not apply—exceeded the 50mph limit and 2% were travelling faster than 60mph. This was by far more than the next largest category of vehicle breaking the limit — motorcycles, where 55% flouted the law.

Furthermore, as many as 77% broke the 40mph speed limit on major single-carriageway roads; 27% did so by more than lOmph. Compared to 2004's results, these figures remain almost unchanged, within 1%. The average speed recorded for artics on these roads was 46mph,just 3mph less than the average speed of cars, for which the limit is 60mph.

For the past 18 months, Commercial IVIotor has been campaign ing for an increase in the speed limit on single-carriageway A-roads, from 40mph to 50mph. This is primarily because the existing limit looks increasingly arbitrary and outdated, and doesn't take into account the advances in vehicle technology.

But when it comes to the numbers of trucks breaking the speed limit on built-up 30mph roads, it becomes much more difficult to excuse.

Built-up areas According to the report, 47% of rigid goods vehicles exceeded this limit last year— 17% by more than 5mph. This was marginally better than 2004, when 49% broke the limit, but there are still a hefty number of trucks breaking the law. However, it is not just trucks breaking these limits-50c% of cars exceeded 30mph (2004:53%) and 21% travelled faster than 35mph.

For all vehicles and all road speed limits, average speeds increased slightly at weekends, which the report puts down to lower traffic volumes at that time.

A spokeswoman for road safety charity Brake says the DIT's figures are not evidence that existing road speed laws are wrong. Instead, they prove unequivocally that more enforcement is the answer: "Half of drivers are still speeding and that's way too many," she says. •

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Organisations: Department for Transport

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