Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: 2021
Annual statistics on car compliance with speed limits on roads in Great Britain for 2021.
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These statistics provide insight into the speeds at which drivers choose to travel and their compliance with speed limits under free flow conditions but should not be taken as estimates of actual compliance or actual average speed across the wider road network.
These statistics cover periods affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Long-term trends in vehicle speed limit compliance have usually been stable over time. Without coronavirus, we would have expected this to continue.
In 2021:
- speed compliance was similar to previous years and has remained broadly stable since 2011, with the exception of 2020 which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
- 48% of cars exceeded the limit on motorways
- 11% of cars exceeded the limit on national speed limit single carriageways
- 51% of cars exceeded the limit on 30mph roads
Seasonal factors such as differences in light or weather conditions may affect differences in compliance throughout the year, particularly in motorcycles. In most vehicle types, there are generally only small differences in compliance between each season.
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Road traffic and vehicle speed compliance statistics
Email roadtraff.stats@dft.gov.uk
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