Speeding

Speeding is bad driving. Speeding kills.

Driving too fast was the main cause of 1,200 deaths and more than 20,000 serious injuries on built up roads in the UK last year.

Cheshire Safer Roads Partnership has many initiatives to get this message across to motorists. From education in schools and colleges, our Young Driver campaigns, Driver Engagement days, through to enforcement by Cheshire Police, Speed Cameras and mobile enforcement vans. We take speeding seriously – do you?

Click here to see the speed limits for your vehicle.

Government research shows:

Around 1 in 3 deaths are speed related.
7 out of 10 drivers regularly break the speed limit.
An average family car travelling at 35 mph will need an extra 21 feet (6.4 metres) to stop than one travelling at 30 mph.
If you hit a cyclist or pedestrian at 35mph the force of the impact increases by more than a third than at 30mph.
Reducing your speed by an average of 1mph will cut accident frequency by 5%.
On urban roads 76% of cars will exceed the speed limit if the road is clear.

It’s not actually safer to drive faster at night. Casualty rates are double that during daylight hours due to the higher speeds because of less traffic, higher alcohol consumption, tiredness and, of course, the darkness.

Temptation

Whether you’re a new or experienced driver, sometimes a clear road can make it really tempting for you to speed. Don’t ever risk it, what you might think is harmless fun can end in serious consequences.

Remember: The faster you drive a car the longer it’ll take you to stop. If you don’t stop in time then you were travelling too fast. The faster you hit something, the greater the effect of that impact. Speed is a major cause of road crashes. The speed limit is there for a reason.

Facts: Urban

Breaking the speed limit, or driving too fast for the conditions on the road, contributes to more than 727 deaths and 4,555 injuries every year.
In 2007, going over the speed limit was reported as a factor in 13% of fatal accidents. And exceeding the speed limit or going too fast for the conditions was reported as a factor in 25% of fatal accidents.
Over 70% of drivers in one study admitted to speeding.

Facts: Rural

Car drivers and passengers are three times more likely to die on a rural road than a busy street.
In 2006, more than 60 per cent of all deaths due to road accidents were in rural areas.
The people most at risk on rural roads are young men, predominantly aged between 17 and 39.

Click here for to view a stopping distance table