Skip to main content

Slow down for road safety says FIA

Driving too fast is a leading cause of road fatalities, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I. Data from the FIA says that an estimated 40%-50% of people drive over the speed limit while a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% decrease in number of fatal crashes. FIA Region I and its members in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are launching a campaign ‘Slowing Down Saves Lives’ and are urging drivers to respect speed limits. In support of the campaign, FI
September 19, 2018 Read time: 3 mins
Driving too fast is a leading cause of road fatalities, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I. Data from the FIA says that an estimated 40%-50% of people drive over the speed limit while a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% decrease in number of fatal crashes. 8055 FIA Region I and its members in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are launching a campaign ‘Slowing Down Saves Lives’ and are urging drivers to respect speed limits.


In support of the campaign, FIA President and United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt said, “Remember, speed can kill. By slowing down we make our roads safer for our children, family, and friends. Recently, Patrick Dempsey has joined the FIA’s #3500LIVES Global Road Safety Campaign to promote the ‘Slow Down for Kids’ rule. We are happy that famous ambassadors have agreed to help us make road safety a priority. I support the FIA Region I campaign Slowing Down Saves Lives.”

European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said, “The safety of road users is very close to my heart. Everyone deserves the best safety and care when enjoying the benefits that mobility brings. We are working towards Vision Zero for road fatalities and serious injuries by 2050. This can only be achieved if we all come together and work towards this goal. I’m therefore grateful to FIA Region I for its consistent drive towards better safety through its campaigns, including Slowing Down Saves Lives. Speed is one of the main killers on our roads and we must do much more to raise awareness about it. Slowing down really does save lives!”

FIA Region I President, Thomas Møller Thomsen said, “Speeding is a recurrent issue in advanced economies and developing countries alike. Many people need to be reminded to respect speed limits. Slowing Down Saves Lives urges drivers to remember that increased speed means increased risk. We all want to get home safe, so the next time you are behind the wheel I hope you remember to respect the speed limits.”

Slowing Down Saves Lives shows how braking distances differ dramatically with even small increases in speed. It aims to urge drivers to respect speed limits. It has been launched during the EU mobility Week and on the European Day Without A Road Death (Project EDWARD) and was held in support of TISPOL’s efforts to reduce traffic fatalities via this initiative.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Concern at high number of motorcycle deaths in US
    May 20, 2016
    Concern has been expressed at the high number of fatalities involving motorcycle users in the US during 2015. Preliminary figures from state authorities show that over 5,000 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in the US over the course of 2015. The full data has yet to be compiled and analysed but these early figures suggest an increase in motorcyclist deaths of 10% for 2014 compared with 2015, or around 450 more people killed than in the year previously. The report was released as part of the Gove
  • Clean engines for industrial use
    October 12, 2018
    The European Parliament Environment Committee has voted on the proposal to amend Directive 2009/33/EU on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles, the so-called Clean Vehicles Directive. However all amendments calling for inclusion of construction machinery into the scope of the CVD were rejected. This is in line with argumentation and awareness-raising actions undertaken by CECE, the body representing construction equipment manufacturers in Europe.
  • RoadPeace Challenge to boost UK road safety
    February 12, 2024
    The RoadPeace Challenge is aiming to help boost UK road safety.
  • Former French president, Jacques Chirac, dies
    September 26, 2019
    The news that former French president, Jacques Chirac, has died aged 86 should be of note for those in the road safety sector. His political legacy is well known. Chirac was prime minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1986 to 1988, mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and finally president from 1995 to 2007. But his political reputation ended under a cloud following his suspended sentence on corruption charges. Perhaps less well widely known however is that Chirac had a tremendously beneficial e