The influence of higher speed limits on motorways on road safety and truck accidents

Abstract

In order to determine the maximum speed limit, first an optimal balance must be determined between the benefits in terms of mobility and the impact on road safety. Amateurs of increasing the speed limit on motorways to 130 km/h base themselves on international comparisons and on the fact that vehicles today are equipped with active and passive safety technology. But one can not ignore the fact that a higher speed limit on motorways is likely to have a negative impact on road safety. The paper describes the relationship between the "higher" speed and the impact on the number of accidents and their gravity, on the speed differences and on the impact on mobility in general. Because accidents involving trucks are so spectacular, they remain often etched in memory. With their imposing mass, these vehicles often increase the impact of an accident and also the impact on mobility is correspondingly. From the statistics, a number of important conclusions can be drawn regarding the risk assessment for truck accidents, the death risk to the occupants in the truck or other vehicles involved, the severity of the truck accidents, the proportion of truck accidents on the motorways, the types of accidents, and the distribution of truck accidents by day and night. © 2009 WIT Press.