We are aware that inappropriate and unsafe speed for specific road and traffic conditions is one of the contributing factors to road crashes! We are also aware of the criticism that too much attention is focused on speeding and that many criticise the past campaign slogans of “speed kills”.
Much of the criticism emanates from those who believe that much more can be achieved through effective enforcement of other moving violations than speeding, and that speed fines are too often seen as a tool to generate funding instead of removing dangerous drivers and vehicles from our roads!
Not everyone is however against speed enforcement – and some are even pleading for a reduction in the speed limits! We would like to share an email received from a road user:
“Dear Madam/Sir
I find it fascinating that your website advocates and gives specific research based evidence that people are twice as likely to have an accident and die when driving at 120km/h than 100km/h, and yet the authorities keep the speed limit at the ridiculously high 120km/h. As a nation, we should immediately lower our national speed limits on all major routes country wide to 100km/h (with 10% tolerance above this maximum limit = 110km/h) – as is the case in Australia (Australia’s maximum limit is 110km/h, but they have a 0% tolerance above their maximum limit).
For what reason do we leave the speed limit at 120km/h (132km/h with 10% tolerance)? Is it because the time we save is more precious than the lives we would save? This would appear to be the case. In the time vs life battle, time is winning and life is losing!
The 60km/h urban speed limit should also be changed to 50km/h, especially to reduce pedestrian fatalities.
We should change the limits for 2015 onwards country wide and see if road fatalities are greatly reduced by reducing speed limits and enforcing as such. I believe that there would be a radical saving of lives across the country and the Arrive Alive Campaign and other Government Departments could take all the credit! Such a simple change, so many parents’ lives saved, so many children’s lives saved, and so much RAF money saved (more that enough to change all the speed limit signage country wide). The reduced fatalities will justify your campaign and keep those who have a need for speed silenced. No one could argue after 3000 lives are saved per year!
Extract taken from your website below:
“If you’re driving at 120 km/h, you are twice as likely to die in a crash than if you are driving at 100 km/h. If you’re driving at 130 km/h, you’re three times as likely to die. Slower driving saves lives International experience shows that as speeds reduce, the road toll goes down. Research in the United Kingdom found that a 1 km/h reduction in the average speed can produce up to a 3 percent reduction in injury crashes. Rural roads: Research in Sweden demonstrated that there will be twice as many fatal crashes when the average speed on rural roads is 120 km/h, than when it is 100 km/h. There are three times as many fatal crashes when the average speed is 130 km/h. Urban roads: Research into urban roads in Australia demonstrated that the risk of involvement in a casualty crash increases exponentially. With each 5 km/h increase in traveling speed above a 60 km/h speed limit, the risk of involvement in a casualty crash approximately doubles.”
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