Some 70 per cent of Irish drivers believe it is acceptable to drive at 10 mph over the speed limit, according to figures released today.
The survey carried out by the National Safety Council (NSC) and Car Buyers' Guidemagazine also shows that 40 per cent of drivers believe it is acceptable to break the limit on local and regional roads.
Roads of this type account for 60 per cent of all fatal crashes and the majority of fatal crashes where speed was a factor.
Males (47 per cent) were more likely to consider it acceptable to break the speed limit on these roads than females (27 per cent), the survey of 2,500 drivers found.
Only 25 per cent of those surveyed said it was acceptable to break the speed limits on urban roads, while almost 75 per cent of drivers said it is acceptable to break the limit on dual carriageways and motorways. Some 30 per cent said it was acceptable to break the speed limit on all classifications of roads.
Surprisingly, young drivers aged 17 to 24 were less likely (54 per cent) to consider speeding up to 10 mph over the speed limit acceptable behaviour compared to drivers in the 35 to 49 age group (61 per cent).
NSC Chairman Mr Eddie Shaw said: "Clearly many of us in this country consider 'real speeding' to be driving in excess of the limit by more than 10 mph. This is a killer attitude as there is no such thing as safe or acceptable speeding.
"Driving above the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions reduces a driver's margin of safety. This is because most of us as drivers underestimate the distance needed to stop," he added.
Mr Shaw pointed out that an average car travelling at five mph over the 30 mph limit will need another 21 feet (6.5 metres) to stop.
"For a pedestrian this is a killing distance," he said.
He warned motorists approaching the notorious August Bank Holiday weekend to drive "more carefully and slowly".
He said: "This means leave a bigger distance between you and the car in front. . . . Be alert for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, the very old and the very young."
Superintendent Declan O'Brien, from the Garda National Traffic Bureau said: "As part of operation lifesaver An Garda Síochána will be focusing the main killer offences of speeding, drunk driving and the non-wearing of seatbelts. We will be performing checkpoints at collision-prone locations in an effort to reduce the continuous carnage on our roads."
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend last year, a total of five people were killed on the State's roads.
