Merseyside Road Safety Partnership
  • Home
  • Our Vision
  • Road Users
    • Drivers
      • Considering other road users
      • Alcohol and Driving
      • Drugs and Driving
      • Driving Offences
        • Speeding
        • Mobile Phones
        • Careless Driving
        • Dangerous Driving
        • Seatbelts
        • Drink Driving
        • Drug Driving
        • Driving whilst unfit through drink/and or drugs
        • Driving Without Insurance
        • Incorrect Child Car Seat
        • Driving Otherwise than in Accordance With a Licence
        • Driving When Disqualified
        • Driving Without an MOT
        • Fixed Penalty Notices
        • Notice of Intended Prosecution
      • In Car Distractions
      • Seat Belts
      • Child Car Seats
      • Driver Tiredness and Fatigue
      • Driver Health & Well Being
    • Pedestrians
    • Cyclists
    • Motorcyclists
    • Public Transport
    • Horse Riders
    • Mobility Scooters
  • Keeping You Safe
    • Safety Cameras
    • Speed Awareness & Speed Limits
    • Emergency Service Vehicles
    • Pavement Parking
    • Move On Merseyside – Post Lockdown
  • Road Safety Initiatives
    • engage
    • Drive Safely For Longer
    • Safer For Longer
    • Cycle Training & Cycle Skills
    • National Events, Organisations & Resources
    • The Pledge
    • Cycle Maps
  • News
    • News

      LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY

      November 6, 2022

      News

      31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for…

      August 21, 2022

      News

      Summer Cycle Event

      July 28, 2022

      News

      Cycling Maps

      May 3, 2022

      News

      Safer Roads Watch Initiative Celebrated for Road Safety…

      November 12, 2021

  • FAQs
  • Contact
Top Posts
LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY
31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for...
Summer Cycle Event
Cycling Maps
Safer Roads Watch Initiative Celebrated for Road Safety...
The Pledge – Your commitment to safer roads...
Project EDWARD #FitForTheRoad – September 13th to 17th...
Remembrance of Diana, Princess of Wales and All...
Illegal E-Scooters Seized and Crushed
Give Drink-Driving the boot this Euro ’20

Merseyside Road Safety Partnership

  • Home
  • Our Vision
  • Road Users
    • Drivers
      • Considering other road users
      • Alcohol and Driving
      • Drugs and Driving
      • Driving Offences
        • Speeding
        • Mobile Phones
        • Careless Driving
        • Dangerous Driving
        • Seatbelts
        • Drink Driving
        • Drug Driving
        • Driving whilst unfit through drink/and or drugs
        • Driving Without Insurance
        • Incorrect Child Car Seat
        • Driving Otherwise than in Accordance With a Licence
        • Driving When Disqualified
        • Driving Without an MOT
        • Fixed Penalty Notices
        • Notice of Intended Prosecution
      • In Car Distractions
      • Seat Belts
      • Child Car Seats
      • Driver Tiredness and Fatigue
      • Driver Health & Well Being
    • Pedestrians
    • Cyclists
    • Motorcyclists
    • Public Transport
    • Horse Riders
    • Mobility Scooters
  • Keeping You Safe
    • Safety Cameras
    • Speed Awareness & Speed Limits
    • Emergency Service Vehicles
    • Pavement Parking
    • Move On Merseyside – Post Lockdown
  • Road Safety Initiatives
    • engage
    • Drive Safely For Longer
    • Safer For Longer
    • Cycle Training & Cycle Skills
    • National Events, Organisations & Resources
    • The Pledge
    • Cycle Maps
  • News
    • News

      LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY

      November 6, 2022

      News

      31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for…

      August 21, 2022

      News

      Summer Cycle Event

      July 28, 2022

      News

      Cycling Maps

      May 3, 2022

      News

      Safer Roads Watch Initiative Celebrated for Road Safety…

      November 12, 2021

  • FAQs
  • Contact

Speed Awareness & Speed Limits

by Admin February 9, 2021
Speed Awareness & Speed Limits

The difference between driving at 40mph and driving at 30mph can mean the difference between life or death.

It takes approximately 6 car lengths (23 metres) to stop a vehicle travelling at 30mph. But by driving at 40mph you are increasing that distance by 3 car lengths (that’s an extra 12 metres).

12 metres can mean the difference between being able to stop your vehicle or hitting a pedestrian – causing them serious injury or death.

A road collision isn’t always the drivers fault but the driver is the only person who can determine what speed they are travelling at should the worst happen.

So, what’s the issue with driving above a speed limit?

When you drive, it’s important to watch your speed at all times. Speed limits are the maximum speed you should travel at and often you need to drive a lot slower for the conditions.

Whether you’re near a school, on a quiet residential street or country lane, allowing yourself time to react in an emergency, can mean the difference between life and death.

There are many important factors to consider:

  • other road users
  • weather conditions
  • time of day
  • your concentration level
  • the road surface

It can be very easy to make excuses for driving above the limit but should the worst happen, do any of these excuses sound reasonable?

Stopping distances explained:

The stopping distance is a combination of thinking time and braking distance and will depend on a number of factors including:

  • your attention
  • the road surface
  • your vehicle
  • weather conditions

So for example, if you are travelling at 40mph and have to brake in an emergency you have already travelled at least 3 car lengths (12 metres) before you even apply the brakes.

Below is an illustration of thinking and braking distance based on the speed you are travelling at.

Whether you’re a driver, cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, we all need to share the responsibility and do our bit to make our roads safer. Visit our website regularly and follow us on social media for updates on what we are doing and how you can do your bit to help to keep all road users safe.

Why not join us by taking The Pledge – our shared commitment to road safety.

Speed Limits

Do you drive? Are you learning to drive? Are you planning to learn to drive?

If you have answered ‘yes’, then here’s a further question –
What if there were no speed limits in Merseyside, how fast would you drive?
Imagine driving along a road in your area and there were no speed limit signs, how would you know what speed to drive at. Think about it.

What information would you use to determine what a safe speed is?

All too often the answer given is, “I look for the speed limit sign to tell me what speed I should be driving at”, which is, of course, the wrong answer. A speed limit indicates the fastest speed that you may drive in the most perfect, safe conditions where there are no hazards. A hazard is anything that may contain an element of actual or potential danger.

Here are some examples:

  • A line of parked vehicles that you are passing
  • A number of children who are going to/coming out from school
  • A stationary bus at a bus stop
  • A car blocking a pavement to pedestrians
  • A cyclist riding along the road ahead
  • A wet road caused by heavy rain
  • A ‘blind’ bend in the road
  • A car stopped at a junction ahead of you
  • A pedestrian waiting to cross the road
  • A green traffic light signal

It’s not an exhaustive list but you get the picture – just about anything may be a hazard. When was the last time that you drove along a road where none of these were present?

As drivers, we often fall into the bad habit of looking for speed limit signs and using them to determine our speed rather than thinking ‘outside of our metal box’ and looking for hazards that will dictate our speed. This is likely to be due to complacency, particularly if you drive the same roads on a regular basis. What do you think about when you drive?

  • What am I doing in work/college today?
  • Last night’s football result was great!
  • Looking forward to watching the next episode of X tonight?
  • What’s for dinner?

What should you be thinking about whilst driving?

As a driver, you have to guard against complacency. Remember, it’s your responsibility to concentrate, focus and drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions. This may often mean driving at a speed below the posted speed limit.

One thing that you may be good at seeing is a bright yellow speed camera. There are numerous static and mobile safety cameras deployed across Merseyside. They influence the speed at which people drive (you do check your speed when you see one!) where there is a higher risk of collision or where communities report concerns for their safety due to speeding traffic.

There are national guidelines that determine how drivers are dealt with should they exceed the speed limit. For example:

  • In a 20 mph speed limit, you may be offered a speed awareness course if you are driving between 24 and 31 mph.
  • In a 30 mph, a course may be offered at between 36 and 42 mph.
  • Above these speeds, you face a fixed penalty of £100 and 3 points on your driving licence.

You may still be prosecuted if you are detected driving at a lower speed or one that is below the speed limit if it is an inappropriate speed (not necessarily excessive) for the conditions. This may even be considered to be careless or even dangerous driving in some circumstances.

0 comment
1
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
Admin

previous post
Make sure everyone gets home for Christmas
next post
THINK! launch ‘Be the mate who won’t speed’ campaign

You may also like

LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY

November 6, 2022

31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for...

August 21, 2022

Summer Cycle Event

July 28, 2022

Cycling Maps

May 3, 2022

Safer Roads Watch Initiative Celebrated for Road Safety...

November 12, 2021

The Pledge – Your commitment to safer roads...

September 14, 2021

Project EDWARD #FitForTheRoad – September 13th to 17th...

September 13, 2021

Remembrance of Diana, Princess of Wales and All...

August 29, 2021

Illegal E-Scooters Seized and Crushed

June 16, 2021

Give Drink-Driving the boot this Euro ’20

June 9, 2021

Search

recent tweets

Tweets by 6770Design

Stay Connected

Facebook Twitter

Some Recent Posts

  • LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY
  • 31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for victims of road crashes
  • Summer Cycle Event
  • Cycling Maps
  • Safer Roads Watch Initiative Celebrated for Road Safety Week

Archives

  • November 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • May 2022
  • November 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • January 2019
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

@2022 – Copyright Merseyside Road Safety Partnership - site designed by 67–70 Design. Advertising. Web.

Read alsox

31st August – Remembrance Ceremony in Liverpool for...

August 21, 2022

Free Adult Cycling sessions for Merseyside

August 26, 2020

Project EDWARD #FitForTheRoad – September 13th to 17th...

September 13, 2021