Speed Increases During Lockdown

With reduced traffic during the Covid-19 lockdown, several police forces have been alarmed at the number of drivers excessively exceeding the speed limit. Drivers in London and Kent clocked at speeds in excess of 130mph this week and Greater Manchester Police reported several cases, including 75mph in a 30mph zone.

As well as being against the law, speeding at any time involves unnecessary risks, so we asked DriverMetrics Research Director, Dr Lisa Dorn to explain why drivers are taking these risks at this time?

“An understanding of the motivations to drive can help to explain this behaviour. Dense traffic is associated with lower speeds and for some drivers, an empty road is a trigger to put their foot down – especially for those drivers high on sensation seeking.

High speed drivers may also believe that they are unlikely to be caught by the police as they are diverted on to other tasks including ensuring the public stay home. However, some forces have now said there will be an increase in enforcement due to these unprecedented high speeds.

Emergency services and the NHS have an enormous challenge to face at the moment and being involved in a crash due to driving too fast will put an additional strain on services.”