Speed

It’s 30 for a reason

The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone is driving, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens.

If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences.

Speed limits are there for a reason.

The facts

Speed is one of the main factors in fatal road accidents
In 2009, 4,187 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes where speed was a factor
The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph than at 30mph

The law

Fatal accidents are four times as likely on rural roads as urban roads

Speed limits and speedingOpens new window

THINK! Advice

Drive to suit the conditions of the road
In some road conditions, even driving at the speed limit could be too fast. Factors that affect road conditions include fog, rain and traffic flow. The national speed limit is not a target speed.

Driving too fast for the conditions is bad driving
Driving too close to the car in front, undertaking and failing to signal are widely accepted as examples of bad driving. However, some drivers fail to accept that driving too fast is also poor driving despite the fact that this is a contributory factor in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year.

Consider the consequences of causing an accident due to driving at excessive speed
If you cause an accident you will have to live with the emotional consequences of deaths or injuries caused to others.

Don’t assume it’s safe to break the speed limit on rural roads because there is less traffic or an open road ahead
Be aware that there may be unexpected hazards, such as blind bends, vehicles coming out of junctions and animals on the road.