Research shows speeding motorists rarely think of the danger and will keep doing it

BLOKES speed because they reckon they can handle it while women do so because everyone else is. But whatever their reasons, most drivers intend to keep speeding, new research by NSW Centre for Road Safety provided exclusively to The Tele show.

Jack HoughtonExclusive

3 min read

August 21, 2018 - 6:20PM

NSW

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BLOKES speed because they reckon they can handle it while women do so because everyone else is. But whatever their reasons, most drivers intend to keep speeding.

The shocking revelations come from alarming new research by NSW Centre for Road Safety supplied exclusively to The Daily Telegraph. It also showed that most of the 86 drivers surveyed — who had all been caught speeding in the past 12 months — thought that “low-level speeding is socially acceptable”.

“For males, their justification for speeding was generally centred on their ability to do so safely,” the research found. “In that sense, they claimed their ‘skill’ and ‘experience’ in driving a car enabled them to speed safely.

A devastating smash on Centenary Drive after a driver drifted into the center concrete barrier and became trapped for 40 minutes. Picture: Dean Asher/Top Notch

“Females frequently justified their speeding by pointing to external factors such as the general flow of the traffic (the perception that most were exceeding the speed limit), or even situational factors such as being in a hurry.”

THINK AND DRIVE: The Daily Telegraph’s road safety campaign

One woman complained that she was often caught because she followed the speed of traffic. “Other people around you are going fast … then you realise you’re going 80km/h in a 50km/h zone … how did this happen,” she said.

Drivers made the comments even after being informed during the study that there were 167 speeding-related deaths on NSW roads last year, making up 43 per cent of all fatalities.

NSW Road Safety: The difference 20km/h makes in a road crash

More than half of the drivers didn’t even think low-range speeding was dangerous and 87 per cent of drivers said that they would continue to speed.

When you see this sign post next to our stories here on the website or inside the newspaper, stop and think for a moment about how you can drive safer

“There’s no one on the road and you just want to get home and get into bed,” one man said. “If it’s late and there’s no one else around, why not?”

“Most drivers admitted to exceeding the speed limit to overtake and many said they often maintained their overtaking speed without realising it,” the researchers wrote.

“Most drivers thought it was legal to speed when overtaking.

“On the other hand, these dangers were seen to apply to other drivers, who were considered to have less experience, skill and knowledge than themselves. Interestingly, even young males on their provisional licence were of the opinion that they were experienced and skilled.”

However drivers were far less likely to speed with passengers in the car, particularly if they were family members but also friends. Researchers said not wanting to injure loved ones was a motivating factor to slow down.

“Speeding with other people in the car was widely considered to be socially unacceptable,” the researchers wrote.

“If no one else is in the car, no mates … I’d push it a bit … you’ve only got yourself to worry about,” one man said.

TOO MANY ARE LOSING CONTROL BEHIND THE WHEEL

THIS is the face of a very lucky escape.

A passer-by saw the aftermath when a black Volkswagen sedan hit a concrete barrier in Centenary Drive at Homebush West at 11pm on Sunday night and called for help. It’s understood the car was travelling south before it lost control, veering across the road and smashing into the barrier.

Firefighters and paramedics descended on the scene and worked for more than 40 minutes to cut the 21-year-old man free. Picture: Dean Asher/Top Notch

Firefighters and paramedics descended on the scene and worked for more than 40 minutes to cut the 21-year-old man free from the wreckage, keeping him stable in a neck brace. He was taken by ambulance to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with an intensive care paramedic on board.

The man is now in a stable condition in hospital and is expected to be interviewed by police.

- Derrick Krusche