Darren McCauley, head of car insurance at Churchill said: “With today’s busy lifestyles, it can be easy to fall into bad driving habits and let speeding become the norm. As repeat offenders are the main problem, the new ‘speed school’ initiative could help reduce the numbers of accidents caused by speeding by tackling the root of the issue rather than letting people get into a speeding point cycle.”

Speeding more acceptable than drink or drug driving.

Government drink drive campaigns are really beginning to hit home but the same cannot be said for speeding. Two thirds of motorists interviewed think speeding is more acceptable than drink or drug driving. And despite the fact speeding is the greatest attributable cause of fatal road accidents**, a quarter of drivers believe it is socially acceptable to break the speed limit and do not take it too seriously.

Darren McCauley, Head of Car

Key points from Churchill’s survey also reveal a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ make-up of British drivers:

7.1 million drivers believe speed limits are too low.

3 million drivers do not know the national speed limit.

5.7 million drivers find it too hard to keep to the limit.

1 million drivers say that they see speed limits as a target to reach.

8.1 million think speed limits should be lower around schools.

*Based on Department for Transport figures of number of full licensed drivers in the UK - 33,771,698.

**Excessive speed as a contributory factor to personal injury road accidents, DfT Sept 2004.