Road safety psychology - Attitudes to speeding

Despite striking improvement in the UK road casualty figures, albeit against a judiciously selected baseline, inaccurate social norms about the frequency and acceptability of speeding persist, says Steve Stradling

It is a myth that “everybody speeds”, says transport psychologist Steve Stradling

It is a myth that “everybody speeds”, says transport psychologist Steve Stradling

Stephen Stradling is an emeritus professor at the Transport Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, an independent consultant on traffic and transport psychology

Stephen Stradling is an emeritus professor at the Transport Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, an independent consultant on traffic and transport psychology

One recent example. Guardian columnist Zoe Williams, road testing the VW Sharans (“This is not an ugly car: it is just extremely functional”) wrote: “My interest was really piqued on the motorway: it holds its speed incredibly well, to the extent that it turned into a fun in-car challenge to see how long I could stay at 80mph without touching the gas” (Guardian Weekend magazine, 12 Feb 2011, p76).

Myth one: Everybody speeds. Perhaps, if pressed about her unlawful...

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