Two-thirds of motorists admit to breaking traffic laws

A survey conducted for road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line claims 69 percent of motorists admit breaking traffic laws. The survey of 1,000 drivers across the UK claims that 35 of motorists say they break laws because they believe they can handle it, while another third admit it’s down to not paying attention.

Every day, five people are killed and 63 are seriously injured on UK roads, says Brake. The vast majority of crashes involve drivers’ risk-taking, and could be easily prevented by drivers committing to following basic safe driving principles, such as staying well within speed limits and never using a phone at the wheel.

Brake is calling on Government to ensure there is a strong deterrent against law-breaking, and that drivers who repeatedly flout the law are taken off the road. Brake is also calling for more funding for specialist roads policing and action to tighten up the penalty points system so drivers who tot up 12 points or more can’t escape a ban by pleading ‘exceptional hardship’.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said: "It is deeply concerning so many drivers break vital traffic laws, yet still believe they are safe. Anyone who thinks they can handle speeding, using a phone at the wheel or drink-driving is fooling themselves and taking an appalling chance with people’s lives. The evidence is clear: if you break traffic laws you risk causing terrible harm to yourself and others. The first step to being a truly safe driver is to recognise that protecting people is your number one priority when you get behind the wheel."

Rob Miles of Direct Line, said: "Drivers continue to flout the rules of the road without realising the devastating impact their actions can have. Traffic laws are there for a reason and breaking them puts other road users at risk. The biggest reason for road collisions is excessive speed, so rather than trying to beat the traffic and getting to your destination a couple of minutes earlier, we’re urging motorists to slow down and have more consideration for other road users so that everyone arrives at their destination safely."