In 2008, speed was a factor in:
- 35 percent of all road deaths
- 22 percent of all reported serious injuries from road crashes
- 16 percent of all reported minor injuries from road crashes.
Speed versus conditions
Driving to the conditions involves you making judgments about the speed you can safely travel the stretch of road you're on. Remember, the speed limit is not a target - it's the maximum legal speed that you can travel at on a road in perfect conditions.
Your speed and other road users
The speed at which you choose to travel is not just a matter of your own safety. Speeds that may be safe for you as a motorist can be unsafe for other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. The graph below shows the likelihood of pedestrian fatality when struck by a vehicle travelling at different speeds.
Source: Data for the figure generated using Ashton's 1982 formula (cited in Pasanen and Salmivaara 1993); Down with Speed (PDF, website).
When there are other road users around, such as cyclists, it's easy to become distracted. Read about how to safely share the road with other road users in The official New Zealand road code.
Driving more safely
Drive to the road conditions by slowing down and taking particular care:
- on narrow, winding roads where you can't see far ahead
- on corners, where you'll lose traction if you're going too fast
- on gravel surfaces, so it's easier to keep control of your vehicle
- at road works.
Drive to the traffic conditions by slowing down and taking particular care:
- in areas where lots of trucks are on the road - they take longer to stop and have different speed limits to cars
- at holiday times when lots of visitors are on the road, often looking for places to stop
- when the traffic is mixed (ie cars, trucks and cyclists).
Drive to the weather conditions by slowing down and taking particular care:
- in rain, snow and ice - it takes longer to stop after you brake
- in fog, which reduces visibility
- when windy, as gusts can make your vehicle less stable
- in bright sun, which can catch you unawares and reduce your vision, especially in winter or at times when the sun is lower in the sky.
Want to know more?
Read about speed limits and penalties in The official New Zealand road code or download Speed: How to use the speed limits safely.
Also check out our current advertising campaign on speed.
