A recent survey ahead of November 2017’s Road Safety Week revealed many of the most common tricks some motorists use in their attempts to stay one step ahead of the law when they are behind the wheel, in particular when involving drinking and driving, speeding and using a mobile phone.
Drinking and driving – despite decades of high profile government campaigns and a general acceptance in wider society that drinking and driving is unacceptable, a shocking two thirds of people are not aware of the current legal limits and almost one third admit to drinking and driving.
One of the biggest risk areas is ‘morning after’ drink driving, where three quarters of people admit to taking a chance and driving following a drinking session the previous evening. The survey also revealed some of the tactics that drivers use to avoid (they hope) being caught, including using back roads to avoid being picked up by police; chewing gum / sucking mints; spraying aftershave or perfume; to mask the smell of booze and drinking coffee / eating a heavy meal after a session to soak up the alcohol.
Using a mobile phone – despite recent increases in fines, the number of points you can get on your licence and a broad based government awareness campaign, over half of drivers in the UK admit to using their phone whilst driving. The main illegal usage factors are making calls without using a hands-free device, followed by sending text messages, using social media and taking selfies.
Speeding – just under three quarters of people still admit to speeding overall, with the main tactic used to avoid being caught being slowing down for obvious speed cameras and keeping a sharp lookout for unmarked police cars. The survey results reveal that people are most likely to speed on the a motorway, despite a recent 175% increase in fines for such offences.
If you or your family have been affected by a road accident, you may be entitled to compensation. To find out more, contact one of our professional team for further advice on 0800 977 4852 or via email here.
