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2.0
Road safety
In more general terms, there is
now a higher level of concern
about traffic law-breaking, such
as speeding or jumping red lights.
The RAC’s research suggests this
could be, at least in part, due to
a decline in the numbers of roads
policing officers in recent years,
with more motorists taking the
view that they are increasingly
likely to ‘get away with it’.
Concern about other people driving
under the influence of alcohol has
fallen to some degree, even though
the proportion of motorists who
admit to drink-driving appears
to have increased over the past
12 months. And while there has
been no significant rise in drivers’
tendency to break 30mph and
70mph speed limits since the 2015
Report was published, there is a
clear long-term trend towards
increased levels of speeding both
on 50mph/60mph country roads
and in urban 20mph zones.
2.1
A rise in phone fears
Motorists are particularly concerned
about other drivers using handheld
mobile phones while in charge of their
vehicles – and these levels of concern
have risen dramatically since the 2015
Report on Motoring was published.
Last year just over a third (34%) said
that use of a handheld phone for
talking, texting or internet access
was one of their top four concerns.
In 2016, the figure has risen to 41%.
This year 13% of those questioned
said phone use by others was their
number-one concern, up from 10% in
2015, and second only to the condition
and maintenance of local roads as
this year’s most common chief
concern (cited by 14% of motorists).
It is difficult to say to what extent the
distractions from handheld mobile
phone use cause accidents, or
whether this problem has become
more acute, but it is likely that official
statistics understate the problem.
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RAC Report on Motoring 2016