The legal speed limit is carefully set as the
maximum safe speed for the road.
The faster you drive the less time you have to
react if the unexpected happens and if a collision does occur the more serious
any injuries will be.
If
a pedestrian is hit at 30 mph there is about a 20% chance of them being killed.
If a pedestrian is hit at 40 mph there is a 90%
chance of being killed. (Speed: Know your limits DFT July 2005)
For every 1mph reduction in average speed there is
a 5% reduction in injury accidents. (Finch et al., 1993;Taylor et al., 2000).
All
reliable research into accident causation shows that the factors determining
both excessive speed and inappropriate speed amount to about 30% of
contributory factors in road accidents. (Speed: Know your limits DFT July 2005)
It
is clear that where there are serious or fatal injuries resulting from
collisions, excessive speed is more likely to be a contributory factor. (Speed:
Know your limits DFT July 2005)
Speeding
traffic is rated as a significantly greater problem than all other antisocial
behaviour, with 43% of the population regarding speeding traffic as a “very” or
“fairly big” problem in their area. (Professor
McKenna, University
of Reading, 2006)
Overwhelming evidence from TRL studies
shows that higher speeds mean more accidents.
The message is clear and consistent. "Managing Vehicle Speed for
Safety" (TRL 2001)
But...
58%
of cars exceed the 30 mph limit. (Speed:
Know your limits DFT July 2005)
What you can do
Show a good example by keeping within the limit and
encourage others to do the same.
Treat speed limits as a maximum not a target. In
some conditions driving well below the speed limit is sensible.
Slow down to keep at least a two second gap between
you and the vehicle in front.
Use your brakes and the gears to keep within the
limit on hills.
Allow plenty of time for your journey so you are
not under pressure to speed.
