Road Safety Charity Brake reports 20% increase in speed-related deaths

Road safety charity Brake has reported that deaths caused by speed on the road rose by 20% between 2021 and 2022. That’s coupled with an overall rise in deaths on the road, which have increased by 10%.

Brake also conducted a survey of road users and found that although 92% of people agree that speed limits are vital for road safety, 34% are happy to ‘sometimes or often’ drive over the speed limit.

What’s led to the increase in speed-related deaths?

An increase in deaths on the road between 2021 and 2022 was inevitable, as many people were driving less during the pandemic.

However, the increase in specifically speed-related deaths is a worrying reminder of how dangerous a casual choice can be. Speeding, whether due to distraction or ignorance, is a decision.

Unfortunately, with insurance costs already rising steeply for many, more serious claims only make things worse.

Ross Moorlock, Interim CEO of Brake, underlined that, “The speed we choose to drive at can mean the difference between life and death. Our speed dictates whether we can stop in time to avoid a crash, and the force of impact if we can’t stop.”

What’s the government’s plan to curb speed-related deaths?

The government’s Plan for drivers report in September outlined a review of 20mph speed limits across the UK, which would help to reduce fatalities if properly enforced.

London, in particular, has the highest rate of deaths due to speed, so we could see further 20mph zoning in urban areas.

Road Safety Week

If five people die on UK roads every day, why do we still think it is OK to speed? Road Safety Week 2023 focuses on this question.

There are some key things we can all do to keep to a safe speed:

• Avoid distraction – particularly from your phone – as speeding is often a case of inattention, not intention
• Leave extra time for a journey: it’s not only dangerous to rush but stressful, which affects concentration
• Adapt speed to actual road conditions; the speed limit is a maximum, not a goal
• Be a vocal passenger – it’s your safety on the line as well as the driver’s

“I struggle to understand why people speed, especially when we keep seeing more news headlines of deaths on the road as a consequence of speeding. Connected motor (telematics) has had an enormous impact with novice drivers, making them safer,¹ reducing the cost of insurance² and giving parents peace of mind. Newly-qualified drivers are over-represented in serious speed-related crashes,³ but they’re not the only ones at risk. And that’s why Ticker is bringing connected motor insurance to a much wider market.”

Richard King
Founder and CEO of Ticker

¹ Telematics insurance helps cut young driver casualty rates by 35%

² 46% of the most competitive quotes for under-25s came from telematics providers in 2016 vs. 72% in 2023, Consumer Intelligence