Lower speed limits, or better educated drivers?
The government has announced that it is considering a number of proposals to improve safety on the UK’s roads, and cut the number of road accident deaths. But it seems that the majority of these measures would revolve around reducing speed limits and policing them more strictly, and while many experts hold the view that this is the most effective way to save lives, still others insist that the focus on speed is misplaced, and more attention should be given to driving that is appropriate for road and weather conditions.
Whatever your viewpoint, a vehicle tracking system, such as CMS SupaTrak’s EcoTrak system, which monitors a range of driver behaviours, or it’s core product, SupaTrak Vehicle Tracking, which provides feedback on your fleet’s location and speed using a discreet GPS tracking device, could assist you to train and manage your drivers, leading to fuel savings, as well as better workforce safety and compliance with the new legislation.
While the UK has reduced the number of annual road deaths considerably in the last few decades, improvements in road safety have slowed in recent years, with the result that the government is now targeting speed limits in particular. It is reportedly considering plans to reduce limits on some rural roads from 60mph to 50mph, and, more drastically, a blanket 20mph limit on all residential roads1.
But while the road safety charity Brake welcomes the idea of speed limit reductions, another road safety organisation, Safe Speed, which campaigns against speed cameras, say that speed is not the main culprit in road accidents2.
Those in favour of reduced speed limits say that they save lives, quoting statistics on the number of fatalities among pedestrians hit by vehicles travelling at different speeds. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at 30mph has an 8 in 10 chance of surviving, while 97% of those hit by a vehicle at 20mph survive.
However, other experts, such as Safe Speed, claim that we need to focus less on strictly regulating vehicle speed, which they say can be a distraction, since drivers think that by staying within the speed limit they do not need to pay attention to other potential dangers, and more on educating people on good driver behaviour, such as slowing down when approaching corners, how to drive in heavy rain, fog or icy conditions, and minimum safe distances.
Clearly some combination of the two approaches is needed, and certainly it seems the government is considering other measures alongside the reduced speed limits, such as tougher driving tests. However, other issues seem to have been ignored, including drink-driving, uninsured drivers and the high rate of accidents among young drivers.
For fleet managers, the main issue is how to train and monitor your drivers so that they display good driver behaviour and reduce their risk of accident. It is here that vehicle tracking systems are useful in that they monitor driver behaviour, allowing you to record speed, braking and accelerating patterns, and other key driver statistics. Also, GPS tracking systems allow you to plan drivers’ routes to avoid dangerous or busy routes, and 20mph zones.
