Two-thirds of passengers have felt uncomfortable with a driver’s speed

Two-thirds of car passengers have admitted to feeling uncomfortable at the speed of a car with a family member or friend behind the wheel.

Research from YouGov found that 61 per cent of 524 people in such circumstances had felt uncomfortable at least once, though 29 per cent said they wouldn’t have the courage to tell the driver that.

Transport for London (TfL), which commissioned the research, says these ‘worrying’ figures suggest that many London drivers could be unaware they are driving at an unsafe speed. It says 103 people have died so far in 2019 on the capital’s roads, with 37 per cent of accounts of deaths and serious injuries coming as a result of speed.

Stuart Reid, TfL’s director of Vision Zero, its campaign to end all road deaths in London by 2041, said: “People are seriously injured or die on our roads each day. It seems that driving at an unsafe speed has now sadly become socially acceptable and many people simply don’t think of it as a risk.

“Nobody gets behind the wheel intending to kill or harm someone but all too often, the way people choose to drive results in death or serious injury. This has devastating consequences for the victim, the driver and their families. I would urge drivers to slow down and also encourage people who feel uncomfortable with the speed they’re being driven at to speak up.”