A new road safety campaign is calling for the use of car crash images as a visual accompaniment to existing numerical speed signs, as a more effective means of deterring people from speeding on UK roads.

Insurer MORE TH>N proposes adding cigarette packet-style warnings and visual deterrents to 20mph, 30mph, 40mph and national speed limit signs. The proposed measures come on the back of a study by MORE TH>N which found that 62% of those surveyed admit they regularly ignore speed limit signs.

“At MORE TH>N, we want to help make Britain’s roads as safe as possible,” said Kenny Leitch, Global Connected Insurance Director. “We know parents and young drivers worry about their early driving experiences. We’re ensuring that our customer journey, communications and product design are all tailored towards promoting safe driving in a way that we know is likely make a real difference and change behaviour.

“Above all this is driven by our understanding of what really works, based on reputable behavioural science that ensures we’re looking after young inexperienced drivers by promoting safe driving in the most effective way. While it may sound like a particularly radical idea to introduce visual deterrents alongside speed limit signs, our early research has shown that the adoption of a ‘cigarette-pack approach’ could be another way tap into the human motivations that can promote good driving and prevent speeding.”

The concept of visual deterrent speed signs was tested with 2,000 motorists in a poll conducted by MORE TH>N. They were backed by over half (58%) of those surveyed as potentially having a real impact on their driving.