Nine out of ten (88 per cent) company car drivers admit to speeding on motorways, according to research from RAC Business.

Over half (48 per cent) of company car drivers said they break the speed limit on motorways on most journeys, compared to only 26 per cent of private motorists.

The findings form part of the RAC’s Report on Motoring 2016, in which just over half (51 per cent) of company car drivers said they typically drive at 80mph on motorways and 7 per cent drive at 90mph.

The research found 60 per cent of company car drivers believed it to be totally acceptable to travel at 80mph on motorways and a third (31 per cent) think the current speed limit is inappropriate for the road. Almost three quarters (71 per cent) believe the motorway speed limit should be increased to 80mph

Jenny Powley, corporate business sales director at RAC Business, said that the Report on Motoring 2016 reveals some worrying upward trends and urged caution among business drivers who don’t see a problem with breaking the speed limit.

She said: “Knowingly breaking the speed limit is a dangerous approach to driving, whether you think you can justify it or not, and the risks associated with speeding far outweigh the time saved. After all, driving at 80mph instead of 70mph will only save you six seconds a mile, or 10 minutes over 100 miles.

“It’s also worth considering the impact of speeding on fuel efficiency. According to the Department for Transport, driving at 80mph can use 25 per cent more fuel than driving at 70mph, so this can have a significant impact on the business’ bottom line.

“A key way in which companies can respond to this growing problem is to make the most of telematics technology to identify high risk drivers and journeys and use the data to inform their staff training.

“Encouraging better driving behaviour will not only result in safer roads, but also enable significant savings on the cost of fuel and wear and tear on vehicles. It’s also really important to not just focus on motorways. ROSPA data shows us that around two-thirds of crashes in which people are killed or injured occur on roads with a speed limit of 30 mph or less, so it is essential that company car drivers are on high alert throughout their journeys, not just at the highest speeds.â€