Road Traffic Digest No SPEED

From this digest onwards we are starting a discussion on various human errors responsible for road accidents [ Ref: Road Accident/causes/Human Errors/ Speed ]

The Fact Over speeding is the single most important cause of road accidents all over the world. In India it was responsible for 58.3% road accidents and 56% of deaths in these accidents in

The Risks of over-speeding With speed, the momentum and kinetic energy of vehicle increases exponentially causing much severe impact when a collision occurs [mv & ½ mv 2 where mass is constant]. In general, an increase of 1km/hr in speed can cause a 3% increase for risk of serious injuries. Up to 30 km/hr - risk of crash being fatal is minimal. at 50km/hr – 3 times risk of a major accident at 80km/hr - 20 times risk of a major accident and

-- at 100km/hr : risk of a fatal accident is nearly 100%

Example 1: if some one attempts a suicide from the first floor [4mt], then there are chances he may not succeed. If the same person makes an attempt from the fourth floor [16mt], there is a fair chance his wish may be fulfilled. The reason is that in his later attempt, the velocity near ground would become double to that of the previous one [64 km/hr against 32 km/hr].

Example 2: While breaking a coconut on some auspicious occasion you must have noticed how easily a very hard coconut turns into pieces when you strike it on the floor with a great speed/force. Now you can well understand how dangerous the speed factor can be on roads.

Example 3: Why death rate in road accidents is lowest in Kolkata ?? At a slow speed due to traffic congestion the chances of head- on collisions and accidents are negligible. This probably explains the lowest death rate among all metro cities in road accidents in Kolkata [and probably also the reason for being one of the worst polluted city in India!!]. What would you like to call this, a blessing in disguise?

Risk to other people [pedestrians. etc] If we consider the risk of fatal injuries caused by moving vehicles to pedestrians we see that at a speed of 30km/hr there is only a 10% risk whereas at the speed of 45 km/hr it is about 50%.

Risk to other people [pedestrians. etc] If we consider the risk of fatal injuries caused by moving vehicles to pedestrians we see that at a speed of 30km/hr there is only a 10% risk whereas at the speed of 45 km/hr it is about 50%.

1. “Speed affects our reaction time” Our reaction time for any unusual situation on road varies from 0.5 second to more than 2 seconds. When we drive fast the reaction time of our brain reduces and we have to take split- second decisions for any sudden or unusual situation.

1. “Speed affects our reaction time” Our reaction time for any unusual situation on road varies from 0.5 second to more than 2 seconds. When we drive fast the reaction time of our brain reduces and we have to take split- second decisions for any sudden or unusual situation.

2. More Speed = More physical & mental stress When you drive at a slower speed, your drive is very comfortable. You can talk to your co-passengers or you can enjoy music, etc. In simple words, you just enjoy your driving. On the other hand, when you drive fast you grip the steering very hard and your body muscles also get taut as you become conscious of driving. You have to concentrate more on driving and you cannot afford distractions. Besides, due to chaotic traffic on ordinary highways you have to use clutch and brake more frequently making your thighs stiffer. These changes are very tiring and at the end of your drive you feel very exhausted both physically and mentally.

3. Speed also affects fuel consumption A high speed also affects fuel consumption as above 60 km/hr the petrol consumption increases by 30-40%. Though this point is not related to road safety, with the rapidly rising costs of fuel even people of rich countries are now seriously considering this issue.

Why Do We Drive Fast? Most of us would answer it like this : [1] to save time or [2] for seeking thrill 1. Speeding to Save Time ! Everybody feels he is the busiest or the most in demand. Yes, it is true that time is a precious commodity or rather time is money. Is it really so ! Just consider this example: if you have to travel 200 km, you may probably save 30 minutes by driving fast but only after an exhausting and risky drive. Reason being, you may not be able to maintain good speed for a long stretch as after so much overtaking the time you save is being lost by a very slow moving traffic ahead once you approach a town on the highway or owing to jams or check-posts.

Suppose, by such exhaustive driving you have saved some 30 valuable minutes, what will you do with these so-called 'valuable 30 minutes'? At the most you can have a cup of tea or relax for a few minutes.

- - - Now, honestly you calculate how much time you spend daily sitting idle in front of the television. According audiencemap[aMap] survey, in India on any regular day an individual spends two and a half hours watching TV. If you are not a taxi driver then an honest comparison of the hours saved on highways vis-a-vis time spent for entertainment would confirm that in majority of cases, saving time is not a genuine reason for speeding.

- - - These 30 minutes saved by risky driving could cost you and your loved ones dearly. Is this small amount of time really more precious than our lives? ? So don't go by the dictum: ‘Time is money', remember instead : ‘No life, no money'.

2. Speeding for Thrill ! Young people, especially adolescents, do crazy things on the road just for the thrill or to prove themselves. The desire for driving is unusually intense. Once an adolescent learns driving, he can hardly wait and suddenly driving becomes the most important thing in his life.

Whether he derives any pleasure from reckless driving only he can tell but once an accident occurs, the condition of both the driver and his vehicle certainly become a reason for a strange kind of thrill among spectators and passers-by. In the age group of years, road accidents are the number one cause of death in India.

Two-wheelers lose balance more easily as compared to four-wheelers when brakes are applied all of a sudden.

[A] The Misguiding Automobile Companies: Auto manufacturers behave like race jockeys inciting the drivers to go at faster and faster speeds. In a TV ad bikers look more like stunt men of a circus rather than drivers of a vehicle. While launching any new vehicle, be it a two wheeler or a four wheeler, it’s pick-up and speed are touted as it’s USP. They claim that that within 5-6 seconds it can achieve a speed of 60km/hr. An advertisement shows a biker racing with a tiger or a SUV going faster than a helicopter. Some companies even claim to take you into space. Indeed they may do so, but God knows whether you would return or become a twinkling star in space forever !

Are the road conditions in India really good enough to drive fast ? Are these auto manufacturers completely unaware of the conditions of Indian roads? Don’t they know that majority of Indian roads are not suitable for more than 60 km/hr whether it is a two or a four wheeler? May be true on an Express Highway [that constitutes only 0.02% of total roads] and one can save some time without compromising on safety. But given the condition of our national and state highways, it is a futile exercise.

Sequence of the crash (clockwise from top) which claimed the life of Honda rider Marco Simoncelli CRASH FILES since Riders who have died while competing in World Motorcycling Championship 1980: Patrick Pons (France),British GP 1981: Michel Rougerie (France),Yugoslavian GP 1981: Sauro Pazzaglia (Italy),Italian GP 1981: Alain Beraud (France),Czech GP 1983: Michel Frutschi (Switzerland),French GP 1983: Rolf Ruttimann (Switzerland),Croatian GP 1983: Norman Brown (Ireland),British GP 1983: Peter Huber (Switzerland),British GP 1984: Kevin Wrettom (England),Belgian GP 1989: Ivan Palazzese (Venezuela),German GP 1993: Noboyuki Wakai (Japan),Spanish GP 2003: Daijiro Kato (Japan),Japanese GP 2010: Shoya Tomizawa (Japan),Japanese GP 2011: Marco Simoncelli (Italy),Malaysian GP Even many SPEEDKINGS or champion Riders have lost their lives in Motorcycling !!

Driving speed depends more on the condition of infrastructure rather than the digits in the milometer. So Drive according to road conditions and NOT by the Milometer

- - - in the next digest we will discuss some other human errors followed by automobile and road defects. After that we will take up the role of different agencies to control this malady [like role of citizens, traffic authorities, automobile companies, public works depts., health dept, media, parents, NGOs, etc, etc]

You have received this message from 'Tsunami on Roads Organization' as a part of an awareness campaign against road traffic hazards. If you find merit in this message, please forward it to your contacts From Conscious Citizens, India [ For previous digests please visit: or or To receive such digests in future please inform at:

In future, besides road accidents, following topics will also be discussed on this platform : How to decongest our cities Vehicle induced environmental pollution Arrogance on Roads: Aggressive driving and Road rage Public Attitude towards traffic rules in the City Problems of pedestrians Road traffic and global warming The economics of vehicles Petroleum Subsidy: Right or Wrong? Biography of urban roads in India Traffic Policeman: Problems & Challenges Drinking & Driving

Jai Hind