A NATIONAL SURVEY OF DRIVERS' ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SPEED LIMITS

The introduction of a speed limit or increases in enforcement of speed limits can lead to reductions in accidents. Nevertheless, it seems that a large proportion of motorists break speed limits sometimes, and this report describes a survey among drivers to examine why this occurs. The survey was conducted in 1976. The study confirms some pilot research which showed that many motorists are not fully aware of how to recognize what speed limit applies to a stretch of road. Speed limits had been changed several times prior to the time of the survey, and this survey showed that many motorists were not aware of the speed limits which applied at that time. Motorists seem to think that speed limits are useful as guidelines and few feel that motorists should be left to decide appropriate speeds for themselves. Motorists favor quite severe punishments for those who exceed speed limits by 20 mile/h, particularly at the higher limits. Some 44 per cent of motorists say they do not wish to see speed limits changed. Some data are presented on which type of driver favors or disapproves of limits and some suggestions are made about ways in which knowledge might be increased about limits and where they apply. (Copyright (c) Crown Copyright 1980.)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Also pub. as ISSN-0305-1315.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory

  Road User Characterisitcs Division, Old Wokingham Road
  Crowthorne RG11 6AU, Berkshire,   England 

  Cranfield Institute of Technology

  School of Management, Marketing Communications Res Centre
  Cranfield, Bedford MK40 0AL,   England 
• Authors:
  • Mostyn, B J
  • SHEPPARD, D
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 35 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Data collection; Drivers; Interviewing; Law enforcement; Policy; Speed limits; Surveys; Traffic law enforcement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver interviews
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Policy; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00336519
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: SR-548, HS-030 869
• Files: HSL, ATRI
• Created Date: May 21 1983 12:00AM