The National Safety Commission Alerts
Safety is No Accident
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Drivers Don't See Speeding As A Safety Issue
A study conducted by Purdue University has found that most drivers feel it is safe to exceed the posted speed limit by 5, 10, or 20 mph. That is probably no surprise to anyone who regularly drives on America's roads. In spite of these driver attitudes, the studies continue show that speed kills.
According to an article in "Science Daily", the Purdue survey of drivers found that "21 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 5 mph over the speed limit, 43 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 10 mph over and 36 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 20 mph over the speed limit.According to the researchers, the attitude toward speeding may have something to do with the perception that speed limits are changed for political rather than safety reasons: The repeal of the federal maximum speed limit is most often cited as an example of changing speed limits for political reasons.
The researchers pointed out the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits. They felt that, where speed enforcement is perceived as lax, the statistics show that a driver is 27% more likely to feel that he or she can get away with driving up to 20 mph over the posted speed limit.
Another unrelated study from Australia showed that a driver, whose friends and family approve of his or her speeding, is more likely to drive over the speed limit. When driving, peer pressure apparently works no matter what the age. Where these drivers go wrong is in the assumption that their safety and physical well being aren't affected by increased speeds.
Numerous studies have shown that higher speeds increase the death and injury rates on the highways. When the federal maximum speed limit was reduced to 55 mph in 1974 as a result of the oil crisis, the fatality rate fell by 17 percent within the first year after enactment of the law. In the ten years after the 1995 repeal of the federal maximum speed limit, the figures showed that there were approximately 12,500 more deaths that could be attributed to the increased speeds.
Data from the state of Arizona shows that the state's highway fatality rate fell by 18 percent in the year following installation of speed cameras on major highways. A 2007 National highway and Transportation Safety Administration review of several studies showed that, where speed cameras were used to regulate speed, there were crash reductions of 20 to 25 percent for fixed speed cameras and 21 to 51 percent for mobile speed camera programs.
Several factors come into play when speed is involved. The first is driver distractions. A study published last year by Virginia Tech showed that more than 80 percent of crashes involved some sort of driver distraction within 3 seconds of the crash. The second factor is a driver's reaction time and that ties into the first. If a driver is paying attention to the road ahead, it can take up to 1.5 seconds before the driver perceives an emergency, decides what to do, and then acts on the decision; slamming on the brakes for example. In those 1.5 seconds, a vehicle going 40 mph will cover a distance of more than 88 feet; that is before the car actually begins to slow. At 40 mph, in ideal conditions, it can take almost 170 feet before your car comes to a complete stop. If a driver is distracted, you can add more time and distance to the reaction time and total braking distance.
The third factor is one that few drivers ever take into account; the physics of a car crash. Using a crash force calculator created by the physics department at Georgia State University, figures for the weight of a vehicle along with its speed can be plugged in to show the overall crash forces that the vehicle will experience. For example, a 3,000 pound car traveling at 30 mph will experience a crash force of 45.16 tons. Going from 30 to 40 mph is only a 33 percent increase in speed but it represents a 77 percent increase in crash forces.28 tons of crash force.
It would seem to make sense that a 60 mph crash would be twice as bad as a 30 mph crash but the crash forces are much greater than that. A speed of 60 mph over 30 mph represents a 100 percent increase in speed but it will increase the crash forces by 300 percent.
30 mph crash = 45.16 tons of force
60 mph crash = 180.64 tons of force
Higher speeds increase the distance traveled and decrease the time you have to react to an emergency situation. Higher speeds also increase crash forces exponentially.
According to an article in "Science Daily", the Purdue survey of drivers found that "21 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 5 mph over the speed limit, 43 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 10 mph over and 36 percent thought it was safe to drive up to 20 mph over the speed limit.According to the researchers, the attitude toward speeding may have something to do with the perception that speed limits are changed for political rather than safety reasons: The repeal of the federal maximum speed limit is most often cited as an example of changing speed limits for political reasons.
The researchers pointed out the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits. They felt that, where speed enforcement is perceived as lax, the statistics show that a driver is 27% more likely to feel that he or she can get away with driving up to 20 mph over the posted speed limit.
Another unrelated study from Australia showed that a driver, whose friends and family approve of his or her speeding, is more likely to drive over the speed limit. When driving, peer pressure apparently works no matter what the age. Where these drivers go wrong is in the assumption that their safety and physical well being aren't affected by increased speeds.
Numerous studies have shown that higher speeds increase the death and injury rates on the highways. When the federal maximum speed limit was reduced to 55 mph in 1974 as a result of the oil crisis, the fatality rate fell by 17 percent within the first year after enactment of the law. In the ten years after the 1995 repeal of the federal maximum speed limit, the figures showed that there were approximately 12,500 more deaths that could be attributed to the increased speeds.
Data from the state of Arizona shows that the state's highway fatality rate fell by 18 percent in the year following installation of speed cameras on major highways. A 2007 National highway and Transportation Safety Administration review of several studies showed that, where speed cameras were used to regulate speed, there were crash reductions of 20 to 25 percent for fixed speed cameras and 21 to 51 percent for mobile speed camera programs.
Several factors come into play when speed is involved. The first is driver distractions. A study published last year by Virginia Tech showed that more than 80 percent of crashes involved some sort of driver distraction within 3 seconds of the crash. The second factor is a driver's reaction time and that ties into the first. If a driver is paying attention to the road ahead, it can take up to 1.5 seconds before the driver perceives an emergency, decides what to do, and then acts on the decision; slamming on the brakes for example. In those 1.5 seconds, a vehicle going 40 mph will cover a distance of more than 88 feet; that is before the car actually begins to slow. At 40 mph, in ideal conditions, it can take almost 170 feet before your car comes to a complete stop. If a driver is distracted, you can add more time and distance to the reaction time and total braking distance.
The third factor is one that few drivers ever take into account; the physics of a car crash. Using a crash force calculator created by the physics department at Georgia State University, figures for the weight of a vehicle along with its speed can be plugged in to show the overall crash forces that the vehicle will experience. For example, a 3,000 pound car traveling at 30 mph will experience a crash force of 45.16 tons. Going from 30 to 40 mph is only a 33 percent increase in speed but it represents a 77 percent increase in crash forces.28 tons of crash force.
It would seem to make sense that a 60 mph crash would be twice as bad as a 30 mph crash but the crash forces are much greater than that. A speed of 60 mph over 30 mph represents a 100 percent increase in speed but it will increase the crash forces by 300 percent.
30 mph crash = 45.16 tons of force
60 mph crash = 180.64 tons of force
Higher speeds increase the distance traveled and decrease the time you have to react to an emergency situation. Higher speeds also increase crash forces exponentially.
Labels: Highway Fatality Rate, Speed Limit, speeding
Thursday, February 26, 2009
When The Speed Limit Is Too Fast
Some drivers, after receiving a speeding ticket, complain that the speed limits are unreasonable and impossible to obey, while others go even further to claim that the speed laws are just a scheme concocted by the government to make money. The truth is that, for the most part, speed limits are set by traffic engineers to move the greatest amount of traffic at the highest safest speed. If that weren't the case, traffic gridlock would be even worse than it is.
Several different factors go into setting speed limits; the size and condition of the road, the amount of traffic the road is expected to carry, and things that adjoin the road such as schools or shopping centers. Speed limits are always set for ideal conditions. Speed limits can't take extraordinary conditions such as rain, snow, ice, or fog into account and it is these types of conditions that get drivers into a lot of trouble.
In November 2007 a foggy California highway became the scene of a massive pile up involving 108 vehicles and 18 big rigs resulting in two deaths. State authorities blamed excessive speed in foggy conditions for the pile-up.
Drivers tend to take the speed limit as gospel, often forgetting the other factors that go into determining what a safe speed should be. The posted speed limit doesn't mean that it is the safe limit. Drivers should travel at a speed lower than the posted speed limit when:
Visibility is limited - Many drivers don't realize just how much ground their vehicle is covering at high speeds. A car traveling at 60 mph is covering almost 90 feet per second. At that speed it takes up to 300 feet to bring a car to a complete stop. At 60 mph, if you can't see more than 300 feet ahead, you are driving too fast for conditions. Your speed should be set so that your vehicle can be brought to a stop within your sight distance or the distance covered by your headlights. Higher speeds mean that, by the time you see a hazard ahead and react to it, it is too late to stop in time to avoid a crash. Visibility is limited at night, in fog, snow, and when the sun is rising or setting in front of your vehicle. Dark country roads are the most dangerous of all roads. Many of the deaths on these types of roads happen when the driver is over-driving their headlights, encounter a curve and are unable to keep their car on the road.
Rain - The roads are most slippery just after the rain starts. Accumulated oil and grease on the road rises above the thin film of water creating an oil slick that can cause you to lose control. The rain will eventually wash the oil off the road but that takes time.
Standing water - Water standing on the road can be too deep for your tire treads to effectively squeeze out the water. As a result, your car's tires can rise up on top of the water and "hydroplane" across the surface of the water like water skis. Hydroplaning can start at speeds as low as 35 mph and becomes most dangerous at speeds of 55 mph or higher. Slow down when you encounter standing water on the road.
Snow and ice - Snow and ice are particularly treacherous. Packed snow can turn into ice. Ice accumulated on the road when the temperature is hovering right around the freezing mark can turn slushy and becomes especially treacherous. Most experts say that speed should be cut by half when traveling on packed snow or ice. Remember that bridges with freezing temperatures both above and below the surface freeze first.
Remember, even if you are traveling at or below the speed limit, you can still get a ticket for driving too fast for conditions.
Several different factors go into setting speed limits; the size and condition of the road, the amount of traffic the road is expected to carry, and things that adjoin the road such as schools or shopping centers. Speed limits are always set for ideal conditions. Speed limits can't take extraordinary conditions such as rain, snow, ice, or fog into account and it is these types of conditions that get drivers into a lot of trouble.
In November 2007 a foggy California highway became the scene of a massive pile up involving 108 vehicles and 18 big rigs resulting in two deaths. State authorities blamed excessive speed in foggy conditions for the pile-up.
Drivers tend to take the speed limit as gospel, often forgetting the other factors that go into determining what a safe speed should be. The posted speed limit doesn't mean that it is the safe limit. Drivers should travel at a speed lower than the posted speed limit when:
Remember, even if you are traveling at or below the speed limit, you can still get a ticket for driving too fast for conditions.
Labels: driver safety, speeding, traffic ticket
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Speeding Triples the Chances of an Auto Accident
AAA Foundation Identifies Four Behaviors That Increase Odds of a Crash
According to a recent study sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, driving faster than current traffic, driving while tired, over-aggressive driving, and a general lack of attention are factors associated with increased risk of being involved in crashes.
You will be sharing the road with 51 million people between Christmas and January 1, according to AAA estimates, so it behooves you to know how to reduce the chances of being involved in an auto accident or having to head to traffic school as a result of a ticket.
AAA Foundation's researchers have identified four driving behaviors that directly impact an increased crash risk.
"Unfortunately, many drivers choose to drive and behave in ways that increase their risk of crashing," said Community Safety Services manager for AAA Michigan Jack Peet. "It is our desire to reduce the number of crashes this holiday season by educating all drivers about specific behaviors that increase their crash risk. Although you may have driven too fast or while fatigued in the past and haven't crashed yet, these risks are real and thus will eventually catch up with you if you continue to drive in this manner."
Drunk driving continues to contribute to unnecessary deaths and injuries, Peet added, particularly during the holiday season.
The AAA Foundation conducted the study to understand more about the relative risks associated with driving behaviors known to be dangerous from earlier studies. The statistics utilized for the analyses in this report were gathered during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study carried out by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 100-Car Study collected continuous, real-time data from a sample of 109 primary and 132 secondary drivers in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area over a 12- to 13-month period. Electronic and sensors in the automobiles let researchers record data on a number of driving behaviors (such as speeding and safety belt use).
For more information about driver safety, The National Safety Commission and Lowest Price Traffic School offer safe teen driving resources for new drivers and their parents.
According to a recent study sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, driving faster than current traffic, driving while tired, over-aggressive driving, and a general lack of attention are factors associated with increased risk of being involved in crashes.
You will be sharing the road with 51 million people between Christmas and January 1, according to AAA estimates, so it behooves you to know how to reduce the chances of being involved in an auto accident or having to head to traffic school as a result of a ticket.
AAA Foundation's researchers have identified four driving behaviors that directly impact an increased crash risk.
- Speeding almost triples the odds of being involved in an accident.
- Driving while fatigued similarly increases the odds of an accident.
- Aggressive driving nearly doubled the odds of having an accident.
- When a lack of attention by a driver (for example, taking one's eyes off the road for more than two seconds) is a factor, the odds of a crash also nearly double compared to the odds of a driver paying attention to the road.
"Unfortunately, many drivers choose to drive and behave in ways that increase their risk of crashing," said Community Safety Services manager for AAA Michigan Jack Peet. "It is our desire to reduce the number of crashes this holiday season by educating all drivers about specific behaviors that increase their crash risk. Although you may have driven too fast or while fatigued in the past and haven't crashed yet, these risks are real and thus will eventually catch up with you if you continue to drive in this manner."
Drunk driving continues to contribute to unnecessary deaths and injuries, Peet added, particularly during the holiday season.
The AAA Foundation conducted the study to understand more about the relative risks associated with driving behaviors known to be dangerous from earlier studies. The statistics utilized for the analyses in this report were gathered during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study carried out by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 100-Car Study collected continuous, real-time data from a sample of 109 primary and 132 secondary drivers in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area over a 12- to 13-month period. Electronic and sensors in the automobiles let researchers record data on a number of driving behaviors (such as speeding and safety belt use).
For more information about driver safety, The National Safety Commission and Lowest Price Traffic School offer safe teen driving resources for new drivers and their parents.
Labels: AAA, crashes, speeding, traffic.school
