The cost of speeding and how to reduce it

Let’s face it, we’ve all pushed the speed limit at some point in our lives. Whether intentionally or by mistake, those big numbers on the roadside sign don’t always match what’s shown on our speedometers.

When it comes to speeding on purpose, the list of excuses can be long:

“I don't normally speed but I was really late.”

“I was keeping up with the flow of traffic. If I was speeding, so was everyone else.”

“You have to speed to get anywhere nowadays.”

“I sometimes speed. But I’m a safe driver and I’ve never had an accident.”

“The quicker I go, the sooner I get there….”

Read that last one again. It seems like that should be true, right? Surely the faster you drive, the more ground you cover in a shorter amount of time. But in reality, it doesn't always work that way.

Speeding comes at a price

Studies have shown that speeding only marginally improves the time it takes to reach a destination for most journeys. You have have to speed consistently and for a long duration to make a material difference to your time to destination. Whilst the benefits of speeding are limited at best, the potential risks are extreme. Some of them are highlighted below:

1. Safety Concerns: Speeding greatly increases the likelihood of accidents. It reduces the time you have to react to unexpected events or obstacles on the road.
2. Legal Consequences: Speeding is against the law in most places. If caught, you may receive a traffic ticket, which can lead to fines, points on your driving record, increased insurance rates, or even license suspension in severe cases. Travelling at 100mph or more is likely to result in a court summons or an instant driving ban.
3. Fuel Efficiency: Driving at high speeds generally leads to lower fuel efficiency. Your vehicle consumes more fuel when driven at higher speeds, reducing the distance you can cover on a full tank.
4. Environmental Impact: Higher speeds can lead to increased emissions, contributing to air pollution and environmental degradation.
5. Stress and Fatigue: Driving at high speeds can be mentally and physically demanding. It can lead to increased stress levels and fatigue, potentially affecting your ability to drive safely.
6. Community Safety: Speeding in residential areas or near schools can endanger pedestrians and other road users. It's important to adhere to posted speed limits for the safety of the community.
7. Effect on Vehicle: Consistently driving at high speeds can put more strain on your vehicle's engine, tires, and other components, potentially leading to increased maintenance and repair costs.

Speeding events in the Fleet Portal & how to use them

We have recently introduced a page in the Portal where you can filter on your Fleet's speeding events and rank them from most severe to least severe.

For each speeding event, we show you:

• The vehicle responsible
• The time it happened
• The road it occurred on
• The speed limit of the road
• The speed we observed
• The % over the speed limit the event was

Need help? Contact support.fleet@zego.com. We're happy to help. 🙂