2008 has been choc-a-block with UK drivers' surveys, so we thought we'd bring together a few of them to give you a small insight into British attitudes to road safety.

SatNavs often get the blame for accidents. The media often cite incorrect or inappropriate SatNav commands for misdirected cars driving into rivers or lost lorries colliding with buildings. The blame of course rests firmly with those who blindly follow all routing instructions without engaging their brain.

SatNavs aside, surely road signs should be followed to the letter? One survey confirms that many drivers are unable to decipher road signs let alone make intelligent decisions about them.

Benjamin Disraeli famously said: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Which of the following statistics do you believe?

We start with a spate of recent insurance company surveys that get a bit closer to the truth behind why there are so many accidents. They also give an insight into our attitude towards speed and speed cameras.

According to Tesco Car Insurance:

• 26% of UK drivers believe that the sign representing that no motor vehicles are allowed means the exact opposite
• 56% thought that the road narrows sign actually meant dual carriageway ends
• 28% wrongly identified the uneven road sign as the sign for a humpback bridge

• 19% of drivers confessed to speeding at least once a day
• 23% said that they speed a couple of times a week
• 27% said they never break the limit
• 43% of drivers said they slow down as they approach cameras and immediately speed-up again once past the detection zone
• 40% said they believe speed cameras encourage reckless driving
• 75% said they worry about the dangers of others driving too fast

• 48% think a random financial bonus dished out by speed cameras is a good idea
• 44% think a random financial bonus dished out by speed cameras is a bad idea

• 8 out of 10 road users agreed the cameras are meant to encourage drivers to keep to the speed limit and not to punish them
• 77% supported speed cameras as a method to reduce casualties
• 64% felt the primary aim of speed cameras was to save lives
• 65% felt fewer crashes were likely on roads where cameras are installed
• 58% thought that speed cameras meant that dangerous drivers were more likely to be caught

• 78% approved of speed cameras’ (up 9 per cent from 2007, but down on the near 90% approval they received in 1999)
• 36% (1 per cent up on 2007) believed that speed cameras were positioned only at serious crash sites
• 39% (3 per cent down on 2007) believed that raising revenue was not the motive for using speed cameras
• 28% of motorists said they, or a member of their household, had been flashed and fined in 2007
• 20% of motorists said they, or a member of their household, had been flashed and fined in 2008

• 72% thought that road and junction improvements would make the UK's roads safer
• 25% thought more traffic police would make the UK's roads safer
• 4% say that more speed cameras would make the UK's roads safer

• Men aged 60 and over receiving penalty points for speeding increased by 540%
• Women aged 60 and over receiving penalty points for speeding increased by 1,200% (though starting from a very low reported base)
• Drivers under 25 being caught for speeding grew by 18 per cent in the past 10 years
• In 2003-05, there were almost 3 times as many drivers aged 60 plus with speeding convictions as drivers aged under 25
• 24-34 year olds were most likely to have a speeding conviction in 1997-99
• 45-59 year olds were most likely to have a speeding conviction in 2003-05

References

PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database

Robert Brady

www.Pocketgpsworld.com