Speeding

The speed of motor vehicles is

universally agreed to be the
most important factor
contributing to crash, injuries
and fatalities on roads. Speed
influences both crash risk and
crash consequence.
 
Excess speed refers to a vehicle exceeding the
prescribed speed limit and inappropriate speed refers
to a vehicle traveling at a speed unsuitable for the
prevailing road and traffic conditions.
 
Modern cars fitted with more efficient engines have
very high acceleration and can achieve high speeds
within a very short time and distance. Crash risk
increases as speed increases especially at road junctions
and while overtaking - as road users underestimate this
speed and overestimate the distance of an approaching
vehicle.
 
Further, in developing countries with a mixed traffic
and high volume of vulnerable road users, increased
speed has significantly contributed to an increasing
trend of fatalities on Indian roads.
 
Empirical evidence from speed studies has shown that
an increase of one KM per hour in mean traffic speed
typically results in a 3% increase in the incidence of
injury crashes or an increase of 4% to 5% for fatal
crashes.
 
Speed has an exponentially detrimental effect on safety.
As speed increase so do the number and severity of
injuries. Studies show that the higher the impact speed
the greater the likelihood of serious and fatal injuries.
1. For car occupant, an increase in speed from 20 Kms to 100 Kms, the probability
of fatal injuries increases from close to zero to almost 100%.
2. The probability of serious injury for belted front seat occupants is three times as
great at 48 km/hr and four times as great at 64 km/hr, compared with the risk at
32 km/hr.
3. Pedestrians have a 90% chance of surviving car crashes at 30 km/hr or below,
but less than a 50% chance of surviving impacts at 45 km/hr or above.
4. The probability of pedestrians being killed rises by a factor of 8 as the impact
speed of the car increases from 30 km/hr to 50 km/hr.

Older pedestrians are even more physically vulnerable

as speed increases.
 
SPEEDING CAN BE A CAUSE OF SEVERE CRASH
1. Drivers get lesser time to avoid mishap and the stopping distance lengthens
which increases both the likelihood of crashing and the severity of the crashes.
2. The vehicle structure is rendered incapable of withstanding the force of the crash
 which results in serious injury to the occupants.
3. The protection capability of restraint systems such as airbags and safety belts and
roadside hardware and safety features such as barriers and bridge rails become
nullified.
4. Vehicles become prone to increased tire tread wear, rise in tire weakening
operation temperature, longer stopping distances and increased brake wear.

5. At faster speeds the driver's ability to accurately see and judge the distances get
compromised