Impact of Speeding on Driving

Driving at high speed reduces the reaction time, increases the stopping distance, takes longer time to stop and increases the risk of serious injury in case of a road crash. Driving at high speed has the following effects:

• Peripheral vision narrows i.e., the driver cannot see at the sides of the road.
• The turning radius is increased due to which the vehicle has to cover more distance while turning and the vehicle moves onto the wrong lane.
• Stopping distance means the distance required to stop increases and the vehicle is not able to stop within time at the required distance.
• Driving a two-wheeler at high speed increases the risk of unbalancing.

On an average, reducing the traffic speed by 1 percent can reduce the number of accidents by 2 percent. Sometimes increasing speed by 5 km/hr at a wrong place can lead to dangerous situation. In case of bad weather such as fog or rain, the vehicle should be driven at a speed less than the prescribed speed limit.