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Speeding

Speed - the facts

Speeding is a major factor in crashes that cause serious injury and death. Speeding does not just mean driving above the speed limit. It also means driving too fast for the road, traffic, weather, visibility, or conditions around you.

The gist of it
  • The speed of a vehicle at the time of a crash has a major effect on how serious the injuries are. This is true whether speeding caused the crash or not
  • The faster a vehicle is travelling, the harder the impact in a crash
  • When a vehicle crashes or stops suddenly, the people inside continue moving at the same speed until something stops them – such as a seatbelt, steering wheel, dashboard, door, or seat
  • Even after the body stops moving, internal organs can continue moving inside the body, causing serious internal injuries

The Issue - As your speed increases:

  • the distance needed to stop the vehicle increases
  • there is less time to react to unexpected changes in road conditions, such as bends, traffic, weather, animals, or a child running onto the road
  • drivers are more likely to lose control of the vehicle, especially on curves or uneven road surfaces
  • other road users are more likely to misjudge how fast the vehicle is travelling

Reading the conditions - The speed you travel needs to take into account more than just the speed limit. Also consider:

  • traffic conditions – including heavy traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and parked cars
  • road conditions – including uneven surfaces, gravel roads, winding roads, and roadworks
  • weather and visibility – including rain, snow, ice, fog, smoke, or bright sunlight

Who's at risk - People speed for different reasons:

  • Distraction: Drivers may miss road signs or not realise their speed has increased
  • Misunderstanding the law: Some drivers wrongly believe they will not be fined for travelling slightly over the speed limit or for speeding while overtaking
  • Poor planning: Drivers who are running late may feel pressure to speed
  • Risk-taking behaviour: Young drivers – particularly young men – are overrepresented in speeding offences and speed-related fatal crashes
  • Pressure from others: Some drivers feel pressured to keep up with traffic or drive faster around friends or passengers
  • Emotions and mood: Stress, anger, excitement, peer pressure, or even loud or emotionally intense music can affect driving behaviour and lead to unsafe speed choices

Driving just 5 km/h over the speed limit, can double the risk of a casualty crash.

There are still many common myths about speeding, but the facts clearly show the risks.

Myth vs Fact

Fact

The laws of physics do not change depending on driving skill. As speed increases, vehicles take longer to stop and are harder to control.

Speeding also reduces the time a driver has to react to unexpected situations.

Fact

The speed of a vehicle at the time of a crash has a major effect on how serious the injuries are.

Even small increases in speed can greatly increase the risk of death or serious injury. The faster a vehicle is travelling, the greater the force of the crash.

The risk to pedestrians also increases rapidly with speed. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle at 40 km/h has around a 70% chance of survival. At 45 km/h, that drops to around 50%.

Fact

Speed cameras are usually placed in areas with a history of speeding and serious crashes. They are used to help reduce speeding and improve road safety.

Fact

Drivers should always travel at a safe and legal speed, even if other vehicles are speeding. Keeping up with faster traffic can still increase crash risk and reduce the time available to react safely.

Fact

Familiar roads can still contain unexpected situations, including traffic, pedestrians, wildlife, weather changes, roadworks, or mistakes made by other road users.

Safety Checklist

Here are a few things you can do to help avoid speed-related crashes.

  1. Check your speed regularly: Speed can creep up without a driver noticing
  2. Adjust to the conditions: In poor weather, heavy traffic, low visibility, or difficult road conditions, drivers may need to travel below the speed limit and leave more space between vehicles
  3. Check again after slowing down: It can be difficult to judge speed accurately after travelling at higher speeds
  4. Increase following distance at higher speeds: The faster a vehicle is travelling, the longer it can take to stop safely
  5. Consider other road users: Drivers need to allow for the actions and mistakes of other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other people using the road. Make sure you are travelling at a speed that allows you to react safely.
  6. Respect safe following distances: Trucks and buses need much longer stopping distances, so avoid cutting into the gap they leave in front of them

This past Friday, my friends and I were driving with another friend who has her P’s, and as she started to drive, she asked us to keep it down while she was driving and we all agreed and respected her ask, thanks to what we had learned on Monday. It really helped to take these things seriously, and not start laughing or make fun of someone if they ask for something like that while they’re driving.

Leticia
Student, St Peter's Lutheran College