Driving Slower Saves Lives

Why Driving Slower Can Save Lives

You hear several times a year from your insurance company, police, and victims of accidents that driving slower saves lives.

You may feel that it doesn’t need to be said and that you have heard it so much that you tune it out. The simple fact is that driving slower saves lives. The simple truth about speeding: the faster you go, the longer it takes to stop, and, if you crash, the harder the impact.

Even small increases in speed could have severe consequences. If a pedestrian steps out into the path of an oncoming vehicle that is speeding, the difference could be a matter of life or death. In an emergency, the average driver takes about 1.5 seconds to react. Stopping distances increase exponentially the faster you go. This is not suggesting that you drive 5km below the speed but rather not to drive 5km over the speed limit.

In Canada, the speed limits take into account the response time and the distance needed to stop in the event of sudden braking. Let’s say there are two cars traveling, one going 60 and the other 65. Suddenly, a car pulls out of its driveway or a child runs into the street.

If both cars are traveling side by side and they brake at exactly the same time where the car that is driving 60km would manage to get the speed down to about 5km. It is the time when it hits the pedestrian or car, the other car driving at 65km would impact at about 30km – a speed fast enough to be fatal. Take a look at this chart on stopping distances.

The stopping distances on the infographics are calculated based on the following assumptions:

• In an emergency, the average driver reacts in approximately 1.5 seconds.
• A modern vehicle with good brakes and tires, after braking, can stop at approximately 7 m/s2.
• A dry, sealed, and level road allows good friction between the tires and the road to aid in stopping the vehicle sooner, with a coefficient of friction of approximately 1.
• A wet, sealed, and level road has less friction between the tires and the road, increasing the stopping distance of a vehicle, with a coefficient of friction of approximately 0.7.
• Various driver, vehicle, and environmental factors can influence the stopping distances in the graph:
• Driver factors include driver attention, driver fatigue, impairment, vision issues, as well as age and experience.
• Vehicle factors include vehicle age, brake condition, tire condition, safety features, weight, and whether the vehicle is towing anything.
• Environmental factors include road surface, road gradient, road alignment, and weather conditions.

Also, the stopping distances in the graph are generic and may be influenced by a number of driver, vehicle and environmental factors:

Driver factors include:  driver attention, driver fatigue, impairment, vision issues, as well as age and experience.
Vehicle factors include: vehicle age, condition of brakes, condition of tires, safety features, weight and if the vehicle is towing anything.
Environmental factors include: road surface, road gradient, road alignment and weather conditions.

Therfore, with all this information we can now say that driving slower saves lives. By reducing your speed, you have more time to react to unexpected situations. Also, you can bring your vehicle to a stop safely, too. Additionally, following road signs and traffic signals is crucial in ensuring a safe and smooth driving experience.

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