SPEED - A SENSITIVE MATTER FOR DRIVERS

Drivers tend to be over-confident about the safety of driving at high speeds, and there are several reasons why they underestimate the importance of speed from a safety viewpoint. Researchers see a clear relation between speed level on a specific road and the risk level and number of crashes on that road. G Nilsson et al. have found that a speed reduction from 55kph to 50kph, or from 110kph to 100kph, reduces the risk of being killed by 30%, of being severely injured by 25%, and of being injured by 20%. In built-up areas, with many pedestrians and cyclists, absolute speed of vehicles is more important than speed differences. Speeds are increasing, because speed is less noticeable in modern cars; speedometers are inaccurate and should instead show kinetic energy. Research has shown that twelve factors influence speed levels; most of them are driver perceptions and attitudes that increase speed; only one of them reduces speed. Large international differences of opinion on speed are gradually reducing, and eventually the European Union will have a common speed limit. Speeds should be reduced until really safe roads and cars can be built. All methods of reducing speeds have their advantages and disadvantages; they include speed limits, information, education, legislation, enforcement, physical methods, and telematics.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/53138280
• Corporate Authors:

  Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

  Linköping,   Sweden  SE-581 95
• Authors:
  • Rumar, K
• Publication Date: 1999-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 20-2
• Serial:
  • Nordic Road and Transport Research
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)
  • ISSN: 1101-5179
  • Serial URL: http://www.vti.se/nordic

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Automobiles; Crash rates; Crash severity; Drivers; Driving; Fatalities; Hazards; Injuries; Injury severity; International; Perception; Safety; Speed; Speed limits; Speedometers
• Identifier Terms: European Commission; European Union
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 2267: Attitude (psychol); 1243: Car; 1772: Driver; 1855: Driving (veh); 8303: EU; 1602: Fatality; 2163: Injury; 9034: International; 2229: Perception; 9150: Risk; 1665: Safety; 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 5408: Speed; 624: Speed limit; 1348: Speedometer
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00768655
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Sep 10 1999 12:00AM