Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: January to June 2020

Organisation: Department for Transport (DfT)
Date uploaded: 9 December 2020
Date published: November 2020

These Government figures show the proportion of cars exceeding the speed limit rose on all road types during the initial Covid-19 lockdown.

The statistics measure speed and compliance at sites where the road conditions are free flowing – for example roads with no junctions, hills, sharp bends, speed enforcement cameras or other traffic calming measures.

They show that during Q2 2020 (April to June), 63% of cars exceeded the speed limit on 30mph roads – compared to 56% during the same period in 2019.

There was also a 7% rise in the percentage of cars exceeding the speed limit on NSL (national speed limit) single carriageway roads – up from 10% in Q2 2019 to 17% in Q2 2020.

Meanwhile the percentage also rose slightly on motorways, up 1% to 53%.

After very little variation year-on-year, differences emerged as road traffic levels reduced sharply in late March after the lockdown was introduced on 23 March.

As restrictions eased later in quarter 2 (April to June), road traffic began to return to normal levels, and speed limit exceedance also started to return to levels more similar to 2019.

Download the full statistical bulletin from the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-speed-compliance-statistics-for-great-britain-january-to-june-2020