Speed is a critical issue for the safety of our roads – no one was ever killed by a stationary vehicle. Speeding traffic can also make our communities noisier and more polluted, discouraging walking and cycling.

Excess speed is a contributory factor in 1 in 3 fatal road crashes.

Why speed matters?

Speed can be the difference between life and death. The speed a vehicle is travelling dictates whether or not a driver will be able to stop in time to avoid a crash and, if they can’t stop, the force of the impact when they crash.

Breaking the speed limit (or travelling too fast for conditions) is recorded by police at crash scenes as a contributory factor in around a third of all fatal crashes and a quarter of crashes resulting in serious injury.However, it is important to remember that speed is always a contributory factor to a road crash. Whether or not a vehicle is judged to have been speeding, the fact it was involved in a collision means it was going too fast to have stopped in time.

An average speed reduction of 1mph reduces crash frequency by 5%

Fast moving traffic also creates unpleasant noise and air pollution, making our communities less safe and deterring people from walking and cycling.

Find out more about how safe speeds reduce the risk of road death and injury and enable more people to make safe and healthy journeys on foot and by bike.

Safe Speeds Factsheet

(Content sourced from Brake, The Road Safety Charity)