In a 2006 study, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Council of Transport Ministers determined that excessive or inappropriate speed was the full or partial cause in approximately one third (33%) of all fatal crashes. Put another way, SPEED KILLS. There are a lot of misconceptions about the role that speed plays in crashes. Protect yourself and your loved ones by getting the facts.
Road safety issues, including speeding, have been subjected to scientific analysis for nearly one hundred years and a vast body of research has been developed. The consensus in road safety best practice is:
- The faster you drive, the worse the crash will be if you get in one because of the greater force involved
- The faster you drive, the more likely you will be in a crash because you will have less time to react to unexpected hazards.
- Even small decreases in mean speed travelled equal many lives saved.
Know the Difference
“Speeding” is driving above the speed limit whilst “excessive speed” is driving way above the speed limit, and you can be arrested for it. This applies at 30 km/h or more in an urban area and 40 km/h or more outside an urban area or on a freeway. Under Sections 35 and 36 of the National Road Traffic Act, 93 of 1996 your driver’s licence will be suspended if you are convicted of excessive speed
“Inappropriate speed” is driving too fast for the conditions; for example, driving at the speed limit in heavy rain.
Why Speed Kills
Speed has two main relationships with road safety
- The most direct link is aggravation of severity: greater collision speeds mean more force unleashed on the victims and thus speed directly influences the likelihood of death or serious injury. This is particularly so when vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are involved in a collision with another vehicle.
- The second relationship, a bit more complex, is the causal role of speed in a road trauma incident. The higher the speed at the point where a crash becomes likely, the less time there is for the driver to react, and the increased chances of skidding or other events influencing loss of control. So higher speeds play a very significant role in causing crashes.
The powerful video illustrates the impact of a speeding crash not only on the person in the crash but also the immediate family, a stark reminder that speeding has a wider impact.
Our Communications Officer, Manpreet Darroch said, “This advert is a great reminder of the human element of road safety. Lots of road safety film makers focus on blood, guts and shock tactics, its powerful to see the wider impact of a crash, such as the family who really would go through the crash with you in terms of grief and family trauma“.