Three out of four UK motorists are in favour of new technology which helps prevent speeding, according to a new survey.
Speed limiters which actively regulate speed, make a sound or vibrate through the steering wheel or pedals have just become compulsory for new cars introduced in the European Union.
And new consumer research from motor finance specialist Startline’s August Used Car Tracker has shown 73 per cent of drivers would welcome the devices in the UK.
The research revealed that 93 per cent of respondents said they regularly encountered other drivers significantly exceeding the speed limit and 90 per cent said they found it “threatening” when other drivers speed. However, 72 per cent admitted to exceeding the speed limit slightly themselves and 30 per cent do so significantly. Despite this, 60 per cent of respondents said they believed they are still driving safely when they are speeding.
“Our consumer research findings for August show strong backing for speed limiters,” said Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance.
“While a proportion admit to speeding themselves, they clearly see active, in-vehicle reinforcement of the limit as a good idea.
“Maybe the standout finding here is that 90 per cent of those we surveyed find speeding by other road users ‘threatening’ and that maybe explains our findings. While people feel that they are safe if they speed themselves, it makes them feel unsafe when others do the same, and their conclusion appears to be that using technology to help stop all speeding is sensible.
“It’ll be interesting to see whether the UK government follows the EU in making limiters compulsory although there is a possibility that manufacturers, who often specify the same cars across the whole European market, will now fit them anyway.”
