20,000 speeding casualties on Britain's roads every year

• Between 2012 and 2016 there were 97,256 casualties on Britain’s roads where speeding was a contributing factor
• 62,901 vehicles were involved in accidents caused by speeding in the last five years
• Just four per cent of speeding related accidents are on motorways
• West Midlands and the South West are Britain’s speeding casualty hot spots where one in six (18 per cent) of all road casualties were a result of speeding
   

Nearly 20,000 people are injured on Britain’s roads in speed-related accidents every year, reveals new research by Direct Line Car Insurance¹. Between 2012 and 2016, the most recent data available, there were 97,256 speeding related casualties, the equivalent of 53 people injured every day.

These casualties resulted from 62,901 accidents caused by speeding, with 34 vehicles a day involved in speed-related accidents on average. One in nine (11 per cent) of all accidents on Britain’s roads over the past five years are speed related, with drivers either exceeding the speed limit or travelling too fast for the road conditions.

Nearly 15,000 (23 per cent) speeding-related accidents over the past five years have been classed as serious, causing 17,636 serious injuries or deaths. Speeding is the second most deadly contributing factor in road accidents over the last five years and the cause of 2,101 deaths. This is second only to loss of control, which claimed 2,561 lives over the same period. The number of speeding accidents leading to death or serious injury has risen slightly (one per cent) over the last five years, although the total number of accidents has fallen by 14 per cent.

More than two fifths (43 per cent) of all accidents caused by speeding occur on A roads, while one in seven (15 per cent) take place on B roads. Just four per cent of speeding related accidents were on motorways.

Britain’s worst speeding casualty regions are the West Midlands and South West, where nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of all casualties resulted from speeding motorists. Unsurprisingly, these regions are also the two with the highest proportion of speed-related accidents, with one in six (16 per cent) accidents on roads in these areas due to speeding.

London has the lowest proportion of speed-related casualties (nine per cent) of all regions and the lowest proportion of speed-related accidents (eight per cent). The South East has the highest number of casualties due to speeding, but it is a low proportion of all casualties caused by road accidents.
 

Table one: Regional breakdown of accidents and casualties caused by speeding

Source: Direct Line Car Insurance 2018
 

Rob Miles, director of car insurance at Direct Line, commented: “It stands to reason that the greater the speed at which you are travelling, the less time you have to react in an emergency. This is why speeding is one of the leading causes of accidents on Britain’s roads, as well as the reason behind why these accidents are also more likely to cause serious harm to those involved.

“It is vital people modify their driving for the road type, visibility and conditions. It is also important that no matter how safely you are driving, others may not be as careful so leave sufficient space between you and the car in front so you can safely stop if needs be. The comfort of driving newer cars can lead to drivers exceeding the speed limit without even being aware of it, which is why a growing number of in-car navigation devices are being fitted with alarms that alert the driver when their vehicle exceeds the speed limit to help them keep an eye on their speed and, ultimately, reduce the risk of a serious accident.”

Cars account for the majority of all speeding accidents (77 per cent) followed by motorcycles (14 per cent), LGVs (four per cent) and HGVs (one per cent). Motorcycles have the highest chance of being involved in accidents caused by speeding relative to the number in Britain, with seven per 1,000 vehicles likely to be involved in a speeding accident, compared to two per 1,000 cars.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors
 

¹ Direct Line analysis of Department for Transport Contributory factors for reported road accidents (RAS50) data, published 28th September 2017. Analysis covers the most recently available timeframes.
 

For further information please contact:

Chloe French 

PR Manager 

Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651 831 715

Email: Chloe.French@directlinegroup.co.uk
 

Antonia Green

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Antonia.green@citigatedewerogerson.com

0207 282 2967
 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
 

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/car-cover