Speeding in 30mph zones is still way too common, but the real shocker is how bad it gets in 20mph areas. Government estimates say around 76 percent of drivers break the limit in these zones, and 1 in 10 are going more than 10mph over. That’s more than just a casual slip, that’s flying.
And no, these aren’t just random guesses. The stats come from the Department for Transport (DfT), using data collected by Automatic Traffic Counters — those little strips of wire you sometimes see across the road. These record the speed and volume of traffic, giving a clear picture of what’s actually happening on the roads, especially away from junctions and bends where speeds are more consistent.
It’s not just the slow zones either. 44 percent of drivers are thought to speed on the motorway, while just 9 percent break the limit on A and B roads with the national speed limit. So, people seem to slow down where there’s less traffic, but the problem’s still widespread.
Unsurprisingly, speeding convictions are on the rise. In 2024 alone, 205,522 drivers were found guilty of speeding, a huge jump of 87 percent since 2011. Over 1.8 million people were sent on speed awareness courses last year too.
Why do people still speed? According to the RAC’s 2024 Report on Motoring, most say it’s because they were just keeping up with traffic. But police aren’t buying that. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council told Auto Express: "Driving in excess of the speed limit is a conscious decision. You can choose not to do it and many lives can be saved as a result."
“Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year as a result of excessive speed and for each one of those people, there will be multiple friends, families and communities affected, so the true impact is almost impossible to quantify.”
Still, there’s a small bit of progress. In 30mph zones, 43 percent of drivers are currently estimated to speed when roads are clear and no cameras are around. That might sound bad, but it’s actually down from 51 percent in 2017. A win’s a win, right?
