Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: January to March 2021
Car driver compliance with speed limits on roads in Great Britain for January to March 2021.
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These quarterly statistics have been produced in addition to the regular annual statistics, to provide more timely information on compliance with speed limits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
They 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.
Long-term trends in vehicle speed limit compliance have usually been stable over time. Without coronavirus, we would have expected this to continue.
In January to March 2021:
- the proportion of cars exceeding the speed limit was slightly higher than during the same period in 2020, but lower than during the first national lockdown period in April to June 2020
- 50% of cars exceeded the limit on motorways
- 13% of cars exceeded the limit on national speed limit single carriageways
- 56% of cars exceeded the limit on 30mph roads
January 2021 saw England enter a third national lockdown and Scotland a second national lockdown while Wales continued its third national lockdown, which had begun in December 2020. These lockdowns significantly reduced daily traffic levels, however, traffic levels remained higher than those seen in April to June 2020.
Contact us
Road traffic and vehicle speed compliance statistics
Email roadtraff.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878