It may seem like fun but it is down right dangerous! The faster you travel the more likely it is that you will be involved in a car crash, and the faster you go the harder you hit. The effects of speeding and being involved in a car crash can change your life forever.

 

Think about this;

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Choose your speed and choose your consequences.

In a 60km/h zone, traveling at

• 65km/h, you are twice as likely to have a serious crash

• 70km/h, you are four times as likely to have a serious crash

• 75km/h, you are ten times as likely to have a serious crash

• 80km/h, you are thirty two times as likely to have a serious crash

Than if you were driving at 60km/h

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In rural out of town areas, traveling just 10km/h faster than the average speed of other traffic you are twice as likely to have serious crash.

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Traveling slower than other traffic on the highway actually reduces your chances of having a serious crash.

 

Dry Conditions

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The road is dry; you have a modern vehicle with good brakes and tyres. A child runs onto the road 45m ahead of you while you are traveling in a 60km/h zone, you brake hard. Will you stop in time?

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If you were driving just 5km/h over the limit, you won’t have enough time to stop, and you would hit the child at 30km/h

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Wet Conditions

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The road is wet; you have a modern vehicle with good brakes and tyres. A child runs onto the road 45m ahead of you while you are traveling in a 60km/h zone, you brake hard. Will you stop in time?

In wet conditions, it is much safer to drive below the speed limit. If a child steps onto the road at 45m ahead, you will have to be driving under the speed limit to stop in time.

The faster you go the less time you have to see hazards, assess the risk and respond

Even though you may be a capable driver, extra speed always means it takes longer for the vehicle to stop.

In wet conditions you should allow much more distance to stop than on a dry road.

The more distance you keep from other vehicles on the road, the better your chances are of avoiding a crash.

All drivers make mistakes at times. If you stay 3 seconds behind the car in front, you will have time to react to unexpected situations. You will also be a lot more visible to oncoming drivers and better positioned to see any vehicles ahead of the one in front of you.

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Do you feel the pressure to go fast?

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Don’t worry if others expect you to go fast, you are in control of the car and ultimately you are the one to face the consequences of speeding. Can you afford the costs of speeding (points, license loss, costs, and injuries)?

Even if you don’t crash or get fined, higher speeds and hard acceleration will cost you money every time you fill your petrol tank.

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Next time you see a person speeding in and out of traffic check out where they are at the next change of lights or intersection. Chances are they are beside you. Speeding can really only save you a few minutes in a total journey – so it’s not worth the risk.

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Annoyed that someone has pushed into the gap you have left between the car in front of you and the next car? Just make another gap. Its cheaper and less hassle then crashing into their car!

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Speeding, It’s not worth the risk