Speeding to blame for most crashes in Britain, drivers say

Speeding causes the most crashes on the UK's roads, according to British drivers.

A survey of 10,000 UK drivers, organised by car dealership Citygate, showed what they felt was responsible for the most crashes on roads in the country.

Of those surveyed, 41 per cent said they believed speeding drivers were the biggest cause of road accidents - an opinion supported by data from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which revealed 14 per cent of drivers routinely break speed limits.

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When it comes to speeding, 48 per cent of women believed breaking the limit is the main reason for road accidents, compared to 39 per cent of men.

Just behind, with 40 per cent of the vote, was the use of mobile phones behind the wheel, while 30 per cent of participants cited other in-car distractions as the main cause of motoring mishaps.

This figure was supported by data from road safety charity Brake, which suggested 22 per cent of crashes could be caused by driver distraction.

Drivers’ attention spans proved a particular concern for men aged between 35 and 44, who gave in-car distractions just over a third of their vote.

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Despite convictions running into the thousands over the past few years, just 29 per cent of those surveyed believed driving under the influence was causing chaos on Britain’s roads.

The survey also revealed a clear generational divide - with 52% of voters over 65 citing driving while intoxicated as the greatest danger to other road users.

According to Autocar, driver error is the most common contributor to road accidents - but almost a quarter of those surveyed by Citygate were quick to blame other road users for Britain’s collisions.

Faulty vehicles also came under fire in the survey - with 10 per cent of respondents saying they believed malfunctioning motors were at fault, rather than pointing fingers at the drivers themselves.

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Some respondents gave their own opinions when it came to what influenced car accidents in Britain - with other answers including confusing road layouts, not looking ahead for other vehicles and poor driving in general.

Steven Crouch, marketing manager at Citygate, said: “These results are revealing and insightful when it comes to understanding just how little the UK knows about road traffic accidents. In an age where we seem unable to live without our smartphones, we would have expected to see mobile phone use coming out as the top answer.”

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