Car hire users may wish to reduce motorway speeds

Car hire users may wish to reduce their speed when driving on UK motorways, following comments from road safety experts.

New research from charity Brake and Direct Line insurance found 61 per cent of motorists admit to driving at 80 mph or more on motorways, while 54 per cent of respondents do not leave the recommended gap of two seconds between themselves and the vehicle in front.

The organisation said driving at such high speeds increases congestion and the risk of being involved in a serious collision.

Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake, stated: "For every mph you drive faster, you dramatically increase your stopping distance, impeding your ability to stop in a crisis."

Andy Goldby, director of motor underwriting at Direct Line, added road users need to plan their journey carefully and drive at a constant speed within the limit in order to reduce their risk of being late and being involved in a collision.

Earlier this month, head of transport at the Energy Saving Trust Nigel Underdown advised people to adopt a smoother driving technique to use up less petrol, which may be of interest to car hire users.

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