Motorists are consistently speeding on the M1, with new data revealing more than 25 per cent of vehicles are at times exceeding the speed limit.
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A report prepared for the Department of Transport and Main Roads by the Australian Road Research Board revealed speeds of motorists before, during and after the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
A speed limit reduction of 10km/h was introduced on the M1 between Brisbane and the New South Wales border from March 1 to April 16 for the Games.
Data was gathered for north-bound and south-bound traffic at Worongary, Coomera and Loganholme.
At Loganholme, on an average day, 26 per cent of southbound motorists were speeding between 6am and 10am and 22 per cent were speeding between 10am and 3pm.
From 3pm to 7pm 15 per cent were above the speed limit and overnight between 7pm and 6am 26 per cent of southbound motorists were speeding.
When a 10km/h speed reduction was introduced during the Commonwealth Games the per cent of speeding motorists increased, particularly at Coomera and Loganholme.
The highest percentage of motorists speeding during the speed limit reduction was southbound at Loganholme between 7pm and 6am where 40 per cent of motorists were speeding and the same stretch of road between 10am and 3pm when 34 per cent were above the speed limit.
The data showed motorists generally stuck to the speed limit at Worongary with two and six per cent speeding on an average day and this reduced to one and six per cent during the 10km/h speed limit drop during the Commonwealth Games.
At Coomera, during the speed limit reduction, between 17 and 29 per cent of motorists were speeding across the entire day, compared to 15 and 21 per cent speeding on an average day.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said drivers were ultimately responsible for their own behaviour.
"I urge every motorist to consider how their actions may impact themselves and their loved ones every time they get behind the wheel," he said.
"Speeding is stupid, reckless, and can devastate lives in an instant."
Mr Bailey said the managed motorways approach of variable speed limits for the M1 would ultimately lead to a reduction in congestion and the number of crashes.
Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland director Narelle Haworth said it was good the speed limit reductions on the M1 during the Commonwealth Games resulted in fewer serious crashes and appeared to be well-accepted by most drivers.
“In regard to the finding that the percentage of drivers speeding increased, this doesn’t mean that drivers are travelling faster, it simply reflects that what is called “speeding” changes,” she said.
“So when you lower the speed limit, you can have an increase in the percentage of drivers “speeding” even if the actual speeds decrease.”
A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said the Queensland Police Service was responsible for enforcing speed limits and conducted camera and non-camera enforcement activity on the M1 to ensure a higher degree of speed compliance.
The QPS could not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
