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Driver Safety

Key tips for driving safely on the road

Drive to the conditions: When driving you need to judge the safe speed needed for the stretch of road you're on at that particular time. If you don't adjust your speed to suit the conditions, you may be driving too fast, even if you're within the speed limit.

Keep inside the speed limit: Drivers who travel above the speed limit endanger the lives of others. We've all heard the saying 'Speed kills' too many times. Higher speeds result in injuries that are more severe.

Look for hazard cues: Safe driving involves looking for important hazard cues. The faster you travel on a road, the more likely you are to miss these. And if you're speeding, you'll travel further before you react and apply the brakes. When you have applied the brakes, you'll travel further before you actually stop.

At faster speeds there's also a greater chance that other road users will misjudge how fast you're travelling.

How does speed affect road safety?

The faster you drive on the road, the more likely you are to crash. As your speed increases:

• the distance you need in order to stop increases
• there is a greater probability that you will be going too fast if you meet an unexpected change in road conditions
• there is a greater chance that other road users will misjudge how fast you are travelling.

The severity of injuries resulting from a crash is directly related to the impact speed of the vehicle - whether or not speeding was a factor in the crash.

What happens when a speeding vehicle crashes?

When a vehicle crashes, it undergoes a rapid change of speed. However, the occupants keep moving at the vehicle's previous speed until they are stopped - either by hitting an object or by being restrained by a safety belt or airbag.

Human bodies are not designed to be hurled against objects at speed, and the faster the speed, the more severe the injuries.

Risks to pedestrians

If a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the severity of their injuries is related to the impact speed. The probability of death for a pedestrian rises steeply from 10 percent at an impact speed of 30 km/h to 70 percent at 50 km/h.

The risks for vulnerable pedestrians, such as the elderly and young children, are higher.