Speed safety

The facts

• Speed is one of the main factors in fatal road incidents
• The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph than at 30mph
• Fatal incidents are four times as likely on rural “A” roads as urban “A” roads

The law

You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle. The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it's safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.

Speeding penalties

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points added to your licence.

You could be disqualified from driving if you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of 3 years.

If you’re stopped by the police for the speeding offence, they can either:

• send you the details of the penalty
• send the case straight to court

If you weren’t stopped by the police for the speeding offence (eg it was caught by speed camera), the vehicle’s registered keeper must be sent a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days. You may have to go to court if you ignore the notice.

New drivers

If you’re still within 2 years of passing your driving test, your driving licence will be revoked (withdrawn) if you build up 6 or more penalty points.

Advice

• The speed limit is a limit not a target
• Country roads often have sharp bends. Stay in control and give yourself time to react to unexpected hazards by braking before the bend, not in it
• Driving too fast for the conditions is bad driving
• Consider the consequences of causing an incident due to driving at excessive speed