UK motorists are significantly more likely to exceed speed limits during weekends.

This is the conclusion of research into recent data, analysed by car LeaseLoco.com.

The analysis highlights a concerning trend of increased speeding, particularly in residential areas and on major roads over Saturdays and Sundays.

The day off

The data reveals that a staggering 86% of drivers exceed the 20mph speed limit on weekends, raising serious concerns about road safety in pedestrian-heavy zones.

On motorways, nearly half of drivers—48% on Saturdays and 49% on Sundays—surpass the 70mph limit, compared to 43% on weekdays.

Similarly, 50% of motorists exceed the 30mph limit on Sundays, up from 42% during the week.

John Wilmot, CEO and founder of LeaseLoco, commented: “While the majority of drivers respect speed limits on all types of road during the working week, it seems things do change at weekends.” He suggests that leisure driving and weekend plans could lead to riskier driving behaviour.

Quiet killers

The Department for Transport has expressed concern over this trend, noting that increased speeding behaviour during weekends poses a significant risk to road safety.

Experts attribute this pattern to lighter traffic and a perceived lower risk of enforcement during weekends.

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, noted, “Our findings suggest that drivers are looking to take advantage of emptier roads on weekends and in the early hours, but it is important to remember that there are still major safety rules to abide by, no matter what time it is.”

The implications of weekend speeding are significant and serious.

According to data, exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 21% of fatal collisions in 2023.

Rod Dennis, the RAC’s road safety spokesman, expressed concern over what seems to be the normalisation of excessive speeding, especially on roads with lower speed limits where vulnerable road users are more prevalent, and even more so on the weekends.

Education and actions

In response to these findings, the government is developing a new road safety strategy that is believed to be addressing speeding and improving compliance with speed limits as part of the package.

The strategy is expected to focus on enhancing enforcement measures and increasing public awareness about the dangers of speeding, particularly during weekends and off-peak hours.