Reducing crashes with speed enforcement

Research from Spain suggests that tougher enforcement of vehicle speed can help cut crashes and road casualties. This follows the analysis of data collated by Spain’s Civil Guard between 2006 and 2015. The study is titled 'The contribution to road safety of the supervision of compliance with traffic regulations', and was recently published jointly by the Mapfre Foundation and in which the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard (ATGC) and the Sevilla University. According to the study, tougher enforcement in the p
September 14, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Research from Spain suggests that tougher enforcement of vehicle speed can help cut crashes and road casualties. This follows the analysis of data collated by Spain’s Civil Guard between 2006 and 2015. The study is titled 'The contribution to road safety of the supervision of compliance with traffic regulations', and was recently published jointly by the Mapfre Foundation and in which the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard (ATGC) and the Sevilla University. According to the study, tougher enforcement in the period from 2006-2015 ensured that the road casualty rate from crashes was reduced by 510 deaths.


Furthermore, the use of enforcement measures meant that 125 deaths were prevented during 2017. With more enforcement measures due in the future, road deaths could be reduced by a further 596 over the next five years according to the report. According to the study, the use of radar has been particularly effective in lowering road deaths. According to calculations by Spain’s Civil Guard, a 10% increase in speed controls would cut road deaths by 4%.

Not everyone in the road safety community is so convinced that controlling speed is so crucial to lowering the casualty rate however. The report’s findings may suit some countries, but not all.

Related Content

  • Australian centre wins road safety prize
    August 2, 2012
    Creating safer highways using low-cost, multi-disciplinary approaches to improve road safety has won 3rd Prize for the NSW centre for Road Safety in the 2007 IRF Road Safety Awards The Pacific Highway, a busy 700km interstate freight corridor from Sydney to the Queensland state border, and the Princes highway, a 430km stretch from Sydney to the Victoria state border, are important highway links in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and both suffered high accident and fatality records. The Roads and Traffic A
    Read More
  • European regulations for engine emissions are getting tougher
    January 4, 2013
    Emissions remain the focus for engine development but equipment manufacturers want clarity from regulators. Emissions remain a major challenge for the off-highway construction equipment market. The EU has tough targets in this respect and its objective is an overall reduction of CO2 emissions of 80-95% by the year 2050, compared to 1990 levels. There is considerable research already underway on how to reduce fuel consumption and to help ensure the security of energy supply. A number of industry sectors, suc
    Read More
  • Implementing road safety initiatives
    July 13, 2012
    Blair Turner examines infrastructure options for achieving Safe System outcomes and their implementation in Australia Like a number of other developed countries around the world, Australia has recently adopted a 'Safe System' approach to addressing road safety. This approach, which stems from Sweden's Vision Zero and Sustainable Safety in the Netherlands, recognises that humans as road users are fallible and will make mistakes. There are also limits to the kinetic energy exchange that humans can tolerate (
    Read More
  • Mumbai’s poor record in India for road safety
    January 4, 2017
    The city of Mumbai officially has the worst record for road safety in India. During 2015, 586 people were killed in road crashes in the city, while a further 2,034 suffered serious injuries and there were 23,468 recorded crashes. Official statistics for 2016 have yet to be revealed but it is hoped that some of the city’s recent traffic measures will help reduce the toll. Cameras have been installed at key junctions with around 4,000 units now in operations, while police have become much tougher on enforcing
    Read More

Highlighted Content