Risk news

Male motorists are more likely to break the speed limit than female drivers, according to a new study.

Research released by Brake found that about one in three men drive too fast in built-up areas several times a week.

By contrast, just one in seven women said they regularly drive at 35mph or more in a 30mph zone.

The study also showed that the gap between male and female drivers is even more apparent in the countryside.

According to the findings, one in five men regularly speed on single carriageway roads in rural areas, compared with one in 16 women.

Tim Coats, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Leicester, says: "The government is clearly right to target its campaigns at men. Brake urges all drivers, but particularly men, to kill their speed and save a life."

Employers who want to ensure that their fleet motorists are driving safely on the roads could find that providing the opportunity of training can further their employees' knowledge of best practice.

Bob Winter, fleet risk advisor at Norwich Union Risk Services, previously reminded employers not to cut back on training during the recession because this move could prove to be a false economy.