It is easier to notice if you are creeping above 30 mph when travelling in 3rd gear, and this can act as a warning to reduce your speed.If you struggle to keep your car within 30 mph when driving in a 30 mph zone, try driving in 3rd gear. If you can comfortably travel at 30 mph in 3rd gear without feeling that the engine is labored, adopt 'no higher than 3rd in 30 mph' as a principle.
Recognise what makes you speed -
We all have our 'speed triggers' – things that make us more likely to speed up and perhaps exceed the limit unintentionally. This could come in the form of being tempted to overtake a vehicle in front. It may mean exceeding the limit to complete the manoeuvre. Distractions, such as listening to loud music, often result in speeding. Learning to recognise your own 'speed triggers' will make it easier to avoid being 'pushed' into speeding.
Concentrate – distracted drivers speed
Although it is a familiar everyday task, driving is actually a very complex thing. Trying to do something else (use a mobile phone, light a cigarette, unwrap a sweet) at the same time, is distracting. Distracted drivers find it much more difficult to maintain their awareness of what's happening on the road around them, and are more likely to speed.
Give yourself time –there's no need to speed and you won't get there quicker
Exceeding the speed limit makes little difference to your arrival time. The time it takes to complete a journey is determined much more by your average speed during the whole journey, rather than the maximum speed you achieve for part of it. This is especially true in urban areas, where you constantly have to slow down for junctions, traffic lights and other road users.
Knowing that you have plenty of time to complete your journey will help you to relax and avoid the temptation to push your speed.
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