Thousands of people die in road crashes every year. Speeding is a contributing factor in resulting road accidents. Speeding reduces the amount of available time needed to avoid a crash.
It also increases the severity of the crash, which lead to widespread causalities. Exceeding the speed limit is the most common error in fatal crashes. A speed limit is the maximum speed permitted to a vehicle on road by law. Speed limits are applied on different modes of transport to avoid fatal crashes and collisions.
Speed limits vary on types of roads and lanes. Residential and market areas generally have lower maximum speed limit.Speed limit is higher on Interstate highways, which are primarily used for movement of vehicles. Impact of Speeding “Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving fast is the main reason behind nearly one-third of all crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding-related crashes resulted in 13,192 deaths in 2004” (NHTSA, 2005). The economic costs of crashes involving speeding are much higher. “According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), when speed increases from 40 mph to 60 mph, the energy released in a crash doubles itself.It has been noticed that when speed limits were raised in many states in the United States in 1996, travel speeds increased and road accidents caused by motor vehicles went up by 15 percent in those states” (IIHS, 2004). “Most of the drivers involved in speeding-related crashes are from the age group of 15 to 20” (NHTSA, 2005).
This is a disturbing trend as the younger generation is increasing showing irresponsibility while driving on road. It has been noticed that alcohol and speeding are co-related to each other. Most crashes occur because of alcohol use among drivers.Speeding laws vary from state to state in the United States.
It seems that most people tend to drive above the speed limit. “Whenever states increased their speed limit, the average speed on freeways and interstate highways increased substantially. The states that raised speed limits witnessed more fatal crashes and causalities” (IIHS, 2004). “Most of the states in United States have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on the roads and highways” (NHTSA, 2005). Excessive use of drugs while driving is another factor that leads to accident on road.The young drivers lose control under the influence of drugs and resort to speeding of vehicle.
This is a growing problem as young people forget that medicines can have serious impact on their driving. The Real dangers of Speeding Speeding is a global problem. Every country in the world is witnessing the cases of rash driving, over-speeding and accidents on roads. In most of the countries, road crashes have become very common and occur more frequently. Despite the rules and regulations, the reduction in fatality rate could not be lowered down.The number of fatalities and serious injuries has made people skeptical about the safety of the transport system.
“The United States has the largest number of fatalities in the world. Although many countries in the world have achieved reduction in speeding-related causalities, the US has not been successful in achieving the reduction” (IIHS, 2004). Speeding has a severe impact on some road users such as the pedestrians or cyclists. When a motor vehicle traveling at a faster speed collides with a cyclist or pedestrian, they have a little chance of survival.
Driving at a lower speed increases the chance of stopping in time to avoid a collision with a person, vehicle or an object. It also reduces the gravity of impact and injury. The areas having pedestrian and cyclist activities are considered as risky because of the increasing number of road crashes caused by speeding. School zones also come under this category.
It is often noticed that despite the maximum speed limit prescribed in the school zones, drivers flout the rules and drive above the maximum speed limit.Such rash driving leads to road accidents where school children suffer the most. Overtaking is another reason of speeding on country roads and highways. There are a lot of overtaking accidents that cause deaths or serious injuries. For the sake of fun or competition, people put their life in danger. They do not realize about the consequences while speeding their vehicles to overtake each other.
Because of the high speed involved, injuries are often more serious or deadly. Need of Setting up a Proper Speed Limit Most drivers are aware of the correct speeds that are safe to use.Traffic Engineers have developed a new rule called the 85th percentile rule. “The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85 percent of motorists drive on a particular road that is unaffected by traffic jam or bad weather conditions.
This speed is considered safe and reasonable by most motorists. Setting a speed limit under the 85th percentile rule is usually safe and correct” (IIHS, 2004). Speed limit is an important part of the road safety strategy that reduces the potential dangers of speeding. Creating Awareness on the Dangers of SpeedingIncreasing awareness about the dangers of speeding is very much important to avoid the crashes on roads, which cause loss of precious lives. The first step should be developing and implementing public campaigns to encourage compliance with speed limits.
The governments and law enforcement authorities revise speed limits time to time. A series of communication and education programs are essential to ensure that motorists follow the guidelines set for them. Awareness campaigns must be developed to educate drivers on the necessity of obeying speed limits while driving on roads and the consequences of speeding.Taking the help of technology in order to nail the negligent drivers may be beneficial to a great extent. Speed photo radar and sensor can be used to put a check on speeding.
Public campaign is very important to reduce speeding-related incidents. Vehicle manufacturers should be encouraged to promote responsible driver behavior and speed compliance through advertisements. Drivers’ Responsibilities To reduce the speed-related crashes, either skill or knowledge is not sufficient. Imposing appropriate behavior on the drivers is equally important.
While skill and knowledge can be imparted through better education, appropriate behavior should be enforced as part of safety policies. Drivers who drive at a higher speed risk their own life and that of others. A responsible driver never crosses the limit and complies with the safety regulations. Drivers must be careful while driving in the residential areas, pedestrian zones and school zones. It is the responsibility of the drivers to ensure the safety on road. Conclusion Road safety can be achieved only by controlling speeding.
Every person has the responsibility to avoid crashes by taking necessary measures. The engineers have to make sure that roads are properly designed for smooth functioning. Drivers and pedestrians need to be alert and obey the traffic rules without any breach. Role of the police and the courts is also very crucial. They have to make sure that the traffic rules are enforced effectively.
If everyone works in a responsible manner, the problem of speeding can be contained, if not completely eliminated.
