Speed convictions against women on the rise

The number of women convicted of speeding has leapt up in the past few years, says motor insurance research.

Speeding charges brought against women have increased by a quarter since 2000, while successful prosecutions against men have fallen by 14 per cent, says the motor insurance industry.

Motor insurance and safety campaigners have suggested that the trend may be down to the increased use of speed cameras, which do not discriminate between the sexes.

"There was once a case that if you were a woman a policeman might be more lenient and you could get away with a warning," said motor insurance spokeswoman Ruth Bridger.

"But speed cameras don't care who's driving and they don't accept excuses," she told the Guardian. Others have suggested that it could be that women's behaviour that is changing.

Peter Marsh, director of the Social Issues Research Centre and joint author of the book Driving Passion: The Psychology of the Car said that men are traditionally the ones who drove in a "macho, thrill seeking way".

"That seems to be changing, the gap seems to be narrowing. Women are becoming far more risk-taking and more adventurous - a lot more like the old stereotype of men."

Motor insurance companies have offered a third explanation: that women may be taking the blame for their partners speeding on camera if he needs to drive for work. Motor insurance firms say that there is an increasing amount of anecdotal evidence to suggest this.

Between 1998 and 2003 the number of women prosecuted after a speeding related court appearance rose by 24 per cent, from 20,075 to 24,920. While men's convictions still account for 82 per cent of prosecutions they were down 14 per cent to 115,078.

Motor insurance research shows that nine times as many speeding tickets were issued in 2003 as in 1973.