RED Corporate Driver Training has revealed the most common speeding faults seen by its team of driver trainers, with a lack of knowledge and awareness of limits, rather than deliberate transgression, at the top of the list.
“We surveyed our nationwide team, who are training hundreds of working drivers every week and, as a result, they have a very clear picture about what causes speeding,” said RED Head of Corporate Greg Ford.
“The worrying issue is that in the majority of cases, untrained drivers are speeding on a regular and sustained basis purely because they either don’t know what the speed limit is, have not understood how fast they should be going, or don’t know the limit for their particular vehicle. No wonder then, that the number of speeding convictions is rising dramatically.”
Recent research by Co-Op Insurance found that there had been a 12% increase in points issued to drivers in Britain in 2024 to just under 10 million penalties, and Ford said he was not surprised.
“The UK road infrastructure is a complex, busy and cluttered environment. Ensuring you are driving at the right speed all of the time requires knowledge and concentration. The penalties for getting this wrong, either accidentally or deliberately, are that you will get caught: the figures show this to be the case. So it is imperative that drivers are up to speed on going the correct speed at all times, or they put themselves, other road users and their livelihoods at risk.”
RED’s research found that a lack of awareness of speed limits was the number one contributor to speeding.
1 Lack of speed limit awareness
According to RED’s trainers, around two in five fleet drivers struggle to correctly identify speed limits across different road types. This lack of awareness is especially prevalent among newer drivers or those transitioning into commercial vehicles for the first time.
Trainers report that unintentional speeding due to simple misunderstanding remains one of the most common causes of fleet violations.
2 Accidental transgression
A lack of concentration leading to accidental transgression of speed limits is the second most prevalent speeding problem.
“Quite simply, drivers aren’t paying enough attention or forget what the limit is. The issue with this is they can spend a long time over the limit, and inevitably they will get caught,” said Ford.
Despite most modern commercial vehicles being equipped with helpful driver aids such as speed limiters and cruise control, many drivers neglect to use them.
RED’s trainers reckon that once drivers receive hands-on coaching about these systems’ benefits, usage rises dramatically, and speeding falls as a result.
3 Not knowing a vehicle’s speed limit
A particularly widespread speeding issue also concerns not knowing the specific speed limits for pick-ups and other commercial vehicles. Many drivers assume these vehicles follow standard car speed limits, but RED’s trainers stress that this is often not the case.
If the unladen weight exceeds 2,040 kg, the vehicle is subject to lower limits: 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways. This misunderstanding arises so frequently that trainers say it comes up at least once a week during courses.
“There’s a really simple solution to this problem: fleet vehicles are increasingly missing in-vehicle speed limit reminder stickers, despite their proven effectiveness and widespread historical use,” said Ford.
“Reintroducing stickers could reinforce correct speed limits for specific vehicle types and reduce confusion.”
4 Variable speed limit confusion
Variable speed limits, particularly on smart motorways and within roadworks, are another area of concern. Trainers attribute non-compliance largely to driver inattention or misunderstanding of the signage. Increased awareness and concentration could prevent unnecessary speeding penalties and collisions.
5 Deliberate speeding
With the rise in the number of speed cameras, RED trainers believe that cases of deliberate speeding are now lower, with many drivers telling them it isn’t worth the risk.
“The prevalence of deliberate speeding will always be hard to prove, because you are asking drivers to admit incriminating behaviour,” said Ford. “But we see the majority of drivers wanting to stay safe and legal – when that letter drops on the mat telling them they’re being prosecuted, most are surprised that it happened.
“In itself this is just as worrying, because a speeding vehicle presents a hugely increased risk no matter the intention of the driver.”
Simple, targeted education and regular reminders can make a measurable difference to safety and compliance behind the wheel, RED believes, and it continues to work with organisations across the UK to improve driver safety and efficiency through tailored training and risk management.
RED Corporate Driver Training has solutions on offer including e-learning modules for all drivers, which provide a regular and fleet-wide education, but also preventative in-vehicle specific speed awareness training for drivers either showing up on telematics as regular transgressors, or those receiving endorsements.
“Every single day, our trainers see drivers react with shock when they are shown instances in which they were speeding,” said Ford. “There is a huge need for more education for drivers about keeping within limits, or the damning numbers of prosecutions revealed last week will only continue to climb.”
