A recent survey of UK motorists discovered that electric vehicle (EV) drivers find it hard to keep to lower speed limits.
Of the 1,000 drivers who were surveyed by Danish road safety technology company Ooono, nearly a quarter (23%) said they find it difficult to stick to lower speed limits when driving an EV, because of the rapid acceleration and quiet nature of the vehicles. This equates to almost half of the EV owners that took part in the survey (47%).
Drivers highlighted the instant torque and lack of engine noise in EVs as factors that make it easier to drift above the speed limit without realising. Additionally, many drivers said that they believed – in error – that modern EVs included speed management solutions as standard. But speed camera and road hazard alert systems are not integrated into all modern vehicles.
Mike Skyte, from Ooono, said: “Most EVs can tell you where to charge. Very few can reliably tell you where the next speed camera or road hazard is.
“The instant acceleration and near-silent driving experience of EVs can make speed harder to judge for some motorists. As EV adoption grows, technology that helps drivers stay aware of changing road conditions and speed enforcement can play an important role in improving safety and reducing fines.”
The survey also revealed confusion among motorists around speeding laws, with more than a third (35.6%) wrongly believing that speed cameras must by visible and signposted by law. Similarly, a number of drivers (15.5%) thought they can avoid a penalty by slowing down before reaching a speed camera, with others (12%) believing an official ‘10% plus 2mph’ rule exists that makes it legal to exceed the speed limit.
Skyte added: “Speeding myths remain surprisingly common. Many drivers still believe there is a legal tolerance above the speed limit or that cameras have to be signposted, but neither is true.
“The safest approach is always to treat the posted speed limit as exactly that – the limit. Greater awareness and better information can help motorists avoid both penalties and potentially dangerous situations.”
