Improving road safety in difficult times

Suggestions for improving road safety in difficult times include speed reduction.
By MJ Woof April 8, 2020 Read time: 1 min
20 is plenty, according to health researchers – image © courtesy of Adam Hill

Suggestions are being put forward on how best to optimise road safety in these difficult times, when hospitals are under pressure due to the Corona Virus. One important suggestion from a group of five health researchers is that speed limits should be reduced in all urban areas to 20mph/30km/h. Meanwhile speed limits on dual carriageways and motorways should be reduced to 50mph/80km/h according to the researchers.

Lowering speed limits will ensure that any collisions that do occur will be less severe, reducing the risk of crash victims requiring hospitalisation. Crash impact data also shows that lower speed limits also reduce the incidence of collisions.

The five researchers made their call for lowering speed limits in an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The group also pointed out that in countries where speed limits have been reduced, there has been an ensuing drop in road crash numbers and also in the severity of any impacts, with an overall reduction in deaths and injuries.

Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • Road hazards for winter driving
    March 28, 2018
    With the Northern Hemisphere in winter, it is no surprise that many of the countries in the north are now experiencing cold conditions that can make driving challenging. Driving on roads covered in ice or snow can present serious dangers, particularly for the unwary or for those inexperienced with poor conditions. Too many drivers are unaware that ABS systems can be ineffective in snowy or icy conditions. Old-fashioned driving techniques such as cadence braking are not always taught these days, but are im
    Read More
  • Geosynthetics revolutionise ground stabilisation
    March 13, 2012
    As powerful fabrics, geosynthetics and geotextiles have a wide range of applications in many civil engineering applications including roads and airfields. Geosynthetics specialist Tensar is introducing a radical new product that it thinks will revolutionise the construction industry. According to the company, its new product represents the "biggest advance in ground stabilisation technology for 25 years. Six years in development, it is said to offer major improvements in aggregate confinement and soil stabi
    Read More
  • Fall in EU road fatalities
    May 10, 2012
    Latest statistics show road fatalities fell in the European Union by 11% in 2010 compared with the previous year. Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Spain, Luxembourg, Sweden, France and Slovenia have all made reductions of more than 50% in the number of deaths on their roads since 2001, says the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). The organisation’s 2011 PIN [Road Safety Performance Index] Awards went to Sweden and Lithuania recognising their particular efforts in reducing road deaths.
    Read More
  • Young drivers pose biggest road safety risk
    December 11, 2015
    Research published by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) reinstates past reports that young drivers continue to represent the biggest road safety challenge in terms of crash risk. Meanwhile older drivers are characterised in as being more cautious and able to adapt their driving styles in response to reduced driving-related capabilities. This process is referred to as “self-regulation”. However, whilst collision rates of older drivers may generally be low, the analyses of injury statistics in Great Bri
    Read More

Highlighted Content