Speed kills
The single biggest road safety issue in the US and other parts of the world today is speed – drivers speeding too fast for the conditions.
In 2007, speed was a factor in:
• 32 percent of all road deaths ( about 40,000 deaths)
• 18 percent of all reported injuries from road crashes (about 300,000).
Driving safely with speed limits
Many drivers might not be aware of the fact that they can be driving at the speed limit and still be driving unsafely.
The speed limit is the maximum legal speed at which one can travel on in perfect conditions. But that doesn’t mean you are supposed to driver at that speed even if you are in bumper to bumper traffic. You’ll agree that road conditions are seldom ideal particularly in cities. As a safe driver, you'll have to look out for changes in traffic, road and weather conditions, and vary your speed accordingly.
Traffic conditions to watch out for include:
• high volumes of traffic on the road
• pedestrians, joggers and cyclists
• parked cars.
Road conditions to watch out for include:
• bumpy or narrow areas on the road
• wet, icy or unsealed road surfaces
• signs warning of hazards such as sharp curves or a slippery surface.
Weather conditions to watch out for include:
•rain, wind or fog.
Ideal speed depends on conditions
While driving, you need to be careful judging the safe speed for the stretch of road at any point of time. This is called driving to the conditions. 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.
Traffic Interactive (online traffic school)
