Speed
As your speed increases:
- the distance you need to stop increases
- you have less time to react
- there is a greater chance that other road users will misjudge how fast you are travelling.
The severity of injuries resulting from a crash are directly related to the impact speed of the vehicle – whether or not speeding was a factor in the crash.
Your speed will impact the time you have to react if someone else makes a mistake.
What can you do to reduce the risk?
- Travel within the speed limit and judge the safest speed for the stretch of road you are driving
- Traffic conditions that you might need to reduce your speed for include:
- high volumes of traffic on the road
- pedestrians, joggers and cyclists
- holiday times where there are lots of visitors on the road
- parked cars
- Road conditions you should reduce your speed for include:
- bumpy or narrow areas of road
- wet, icy or gravel road surfaces
- signs warning of hazards such as sharp curves or a slippery surface
- Weather conditions you should reduce your speed for include:
- rain, snow and ice
- wind
- fog
- bright sunlight
