A new government safety campaign has been launched to highlight the dangers of speeding on rural roads, with a particular emphasis on young male drivers.
The road safety campaign by THINK! seeks to raise awareness of the risks when speeding or driving too fast for road conditions, especially on rural roads.
The latest statistics show that 60% of all serious and fatal collisions involving young male car drivers happened on rural roads.
The campaign, “Is pushing it worth it?”, shows that male drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25 or over.
Responding to its launch, Road Safety Minister Richard Holden said: "We’re highlighting the dangers of relaxed driving attitudes on rural roads so that everyone recognises that pushing the speed limit is just not worth it.
"Speeding accounts for around 1 in 4 fatal collisions, but despite this is considered one of the least risky and most acceptable behaviours among drivers, especially young men."
He added: "The campaign highlights that speed kills and injuries 54 young people every week in the UK."
THINK! research also shows that young males underestimate the risks of driving just a few miles per hour over the right speed for rural road conditions.
It seeks to challenge overconfidence among younger drivers and highlight that while excessive speeding is an issue, it is equally important to not go slightly over the speed limit or drive too fast for the road.
RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said that speeding was a 'clear and present danger', especially on country roads.
"We also know that far too many young people are injured or killed every year in car accidents," he said.
"Hopefully this campaign can bring about some much-needed behavioural change."
