What can you do to play your part?
- Leave enough time for your journey
It's always a temptation to put your foot down if you're in a rush so allow extra time for unexpected delays such as traffic jams and diversions. Remember, if you're involved in a crash you will be late or, worse, may never arrive at all.
- Keep a regular eye on your speedo as you would your mirrors
It only takes a fraction of a second and it could stop you unintentionally drifting over the limit.
- Look out for speed limits
There should always be clearly visible signs to indicate when the limit increases or decreases. If in doubt and in a built-up area or a road with street lighting always assume the speed limit is 30mph.
- Use your gears to keep your speed down
You'll find it easier to control your speed in a 30mph limit if you stay in 3rd gear, changing down to a lower gear when going downhill to avoid picking up speed and slipping over the limit.
- Expect the unexpected
Always drive at a speed that will allow you to react in time to unexpected hazards - a child emerging from behind a parked car or a slow-moving farm vehicle around the bend on a country road, for example.
- Be aware of your speed leaving a motorway or dual carriageway
If you've been driving at a relatively high speed for a while, 50mph can easily feel like 30mph - so take extra care and drive according to your speedo, not your intuition.
- Drive to the conditions, not the limits
It is not always safe to drive at the speed limit - sometimes you will need to drive at slower speeds. For example, 70mph on the motorway is too fast during hazardous driving conditions such as fog, snow, low sun or heavy rain - so always adapt your speed to suit the road conditions rather than the posted limit, even in 30mph zones.
- Watch out for camera warning signs
The familiar black-and-white camera logo indicates that you are about to enter an area where safety cameras may be active. We only use cameras where people have been killed or injured, at roadworks or at sites of community concern. By watching your speeds in these areas not only will you avoid a ticket, you will also reduce your chances of being involved in a collision in areas where there is already a speed-related risk.
- Work with your employer to reduce the need to speed
Please talk to your employer if you're worried about deadlines causing you to speed, and work together on things such as scheduling your workload so you can always get to your destination in comfortable time without breaking the law.