is speeding the real highway killer?

8/3/2019 Is Speeding the Real Highway Killer?

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Speed is a prominent issue in many collisions; however, it is never the

sole ingredient. Highway speeding is often misrepresented and grossly

overestimated in the media: We've all seen on the network news and in the

major newspapers that when talking about highway safety, reporters seem to

have completely suspended the cynical scepticism that they apply to business

and political stories (Csaba Csere). I will show alternative reasons explaining

the causes of highway deaths. These reasons include driving behaviour, driver

impairment, and driver distractions. Finally, I will address how raising the speed

limit affects highway safety. This will be done by exploring sources of highway

safety design, government papers as well as relevant articles relating to the

current situation in the United States and Canada.

Behaviour & Driving Habits

Safe driving etiquette is an important issue when considering the volume

of vehicles that are present on the highway system as a means to reach a

destination. The National Highway System represents only 4 percent of all

roads, but carr[ies] more than 40 percent of the nations traffic and 70 percent of

its heavy truck traffic (Quoted in National Cooperative Highway Research

Program (NCHRP) 32). With a statistic such as this, it is easy to understand that

when the system is disrupted on any given section, many people are quickly

affected. Sergeant Peggy Gamble, head of the eastern division of the Ontario

Provincial Polices Highway Rangers says that, Drivers sticking to the left lane

cause other drivers to drive more aggressively, either tailgating the slowpokes or

excessively changing lanes (Qtd. in Meeson). This view is equally shared by

Brock Yates, a columnist for Car & Driver magazine. He also adds that the

fundamental problem stems from U.S. roads filled with wonderfully safe cars

piloted by terribly unsafe drivers (Qtd. in Kaye). Both Yates and Gamble deal

with driving on a daily basis, however, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum

when it comes to reasons why cars should not remain in the left lane. The OPP

is currently staging an operation in order to inform and remind the public about


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safe highway driving techniques by specifically targeting drivers dominating the

left lane, regardless of their cruising speeds: [Sgt.] Gamble says that even if

someone sticks to the left lane at the posted 100 km/h speed limit and isnt

passing anyone, then he or she is chargeable under the law (Qtd. in Meeson).

Yates reminds us how on German autobahns, where there are no speed limits,

lane discipline is strictly adhered to (Qtd. in Kaye). Since drivers obey lane

discipline in Germany, it can only be concluded that there are other factors to

consider aside from speeding to explain why people lose their lives on North

American highways.

What causes a driver to disregard lane discipline? According to Fuller and

Santos, driving in ways which may save time become potentially rewarding

options, motivating potentially risky behaviour (91). Some ways this is

expressed is by allowing for shorter gaps upon entering the flow of highway

traffic, crossing multiple lanes and overtaking recklessly. Let us examine what

happens if an unexpected event occurs that a driver is unable to control: Human

failure occurs in subtle ways such as in wrong expectations, poor judgement

and increased errors (Fuller and Santos 79). The situation worsens when

drivers perceive themselves in greater control of their environment than they truly

are. This can lead to unfortunate circumstances such as collisions or loss ofcontrol resulting in death. This is especially true for young drivers who tend to

drive under more dubious conditions such as night time. Often, they are

pressured by their peers to adopt a high-risk driving style and find themselves

overrating their ability to drive safely. Lastly, they experience difficulty in

recognizing hazards (Fuller and Santos 244).

However, this does not mean that every young driver is without hope. On

the contrary, it is through the learning process that young drivers become better

drivers. This process continues throughout the lifetime of the driver, however,

the learning pattern follows an exponentially decreasing curve. For example, the

amount of information learned at the beginning of the driving experience is far

greater than that which is acquired many years later. Usually, poor driving


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patterns become more difficult to eradicate when assumed in early stages of

learning.

Impairment

The term impairment is commonly associated with being under the

influence of alcohol. Prescription drugs as well as recreational ones also

contribute towards impaired driving. All three elements can lead to drowsiness or

hallucinations and even modify emotions. For example the following article is

sadly familiar to everyone due to its frequent occurrence: The teen [was] found

responsible for a highway accident that killed five people two years ago on June

27, 1999, on Highway 7, east of Perth, Ontario. Upon investigation, theauthorities discovered that speeding, improper passing and marijuana were the

major determinants involved (Judge). This is an excellent example illustrating

how various agents contribute to an accident. In reality, it is not simply one

component that is at the root of the problem. All have contributed towards the

final result in a greater fashion than had the factors been considered individually.

It is a distressing fact to note that in 1995, of all drivers sustaining fatal

injuries from collisions, nearly half (42% according to the Canadian Centre for

Justice Statistics as well as the Canadian Council of Motor Transport

Administrators) were involved in the consumption of alcohol (Standing

Committee 1 and 10). What is difficult to understand is despite a multitude of

awareness campaigns led by various groups such as: provincial and state

governments; Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); and CAA/AAA; people

continue to take the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. The good news

is, from 1978 to 1997, there was a drop of 50% in the number of deaths arising

from impaired driving. Unfortunately, the increase in passive and active

automotive safety features such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, second

generation airbags and compliance with the wearing of safety belts has masked

the problem of impaired driving. (Standing Committee 10).


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However, driving under the influence of alcohol doesnt just mean being

intoxicated. It is important to remember that the liver can only metabolise alcohol

from the bloodstream at a specific rate despite the quantities imbibed. This rate

is roughly equal to one serving, such as one bottle of beer, one glass of wine, 1

ounce of spirits, etc. Different people have varying metabolisms, and there is no

clear way a person can easily measure when the legal limit has been passed

since breathalysers are not readily accessible for them. Hence, Fuller and

Santos state that, a driver can be affected for a number of hours, long after he or

she has stopped drinking (87). This can be a strong explanation why certain

drivers feel that they are okay to drive, even when it is clear that they are not.

In the report, Toward eliminating impaired driving, the Standing

Committee on Justice and Human Rights states that: There is no question that

drugs play a contributory role [in highway casualties] (25). The presence of

drugs in impaired driving is much less frequent than the presence of alcohol in

fatal motor vehicle accidents. If we consider recreational drug use, most people

do not take to the wheel directly after consumption. However, prescription drugs,

such as extended release medications, can interfere with daily tasks requiring

constant attention such as driving. Risk factors for drowsy driving in the general

population include chronic daytime sleepiness, acute sleepiness, use ofmedications that can cause drowsiness and alcohol consumption (NCHRP 10).

Clearly, drowsiness is a primary cause of accidents for those who are medicated.

When an individual feels drowsy, or when he or she is at the other

extreme of emotional arousal, feeling highly agitated or enraged, driving

performance drops significantly (Fuller and Santos 79). Emotions play a large

role in the way we drive every day. The concept of road rage should be familiar

to anyone who has spent an hour on the road, which is also rooted in emotions

such as anger, frustration, anxiety and fear. Not surprisingly, low levels of

arousal are caused by emotional states such as depression and feelings of grief.

These emotions in turn will cause a driver to heed less attention to the road in

favour of their troubles.


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Another important impairment factor is related to sleep. Contrary to

popular belief, we might be tempted to believe that young males, shift workers,

persons with sleep disorders or commercial vehicle operators [are the people

most at risk of falling asleep at the wheel] (NCHRP 10). In reality, there is no

discrimination to be made. As people get tired or fatigued, their driving skills

diminish. The NCHRP goes to say that the ratio of sleep-related crashes is

identical for truckers, bus drivers and couriers as it is for recreational and

passenger vehicle drivers on a per-mile-traveled basis (7).

Safeguards are being established in order to reduce the number of

casualties derived from sleep-related collisions. Rumble strips can now be found

on most highways and secondary roads. They are defined as raised or grooved

patterns placed in the paved surface of a roadway that produce both nose and

vibration when a vehicles tires roll over them (NCHRP 26). Experience shows

that they are a very cost effective means to save lives. They serve as a warning

to drivers that they are experiencing a dangerous level of drowsiness and they

should stop their motor vehicle shortly in order to rest, take a nap or sleep.

Unfortunately, as with most safety measures, there is a potential for misuse as

some drivers will be willing to push the envelope further. This increases the

dangers of drowsy driving by relying on rumble strips as an alarm clock to helpthem keep awake until reaching their ultimate destination (NCHRP 31). This is

echoed by New York State licensed drivers responding to a recent survey. The

survey revealed that 3 in 10 drivers interviewed said that they had needed or

wanted to stop at a roadside area, but none was available (Qtd. in NCHRP 36).

This is a very disturbing statistic highlighting an acute problem that needs to be

addressed in order to make highways safer for all drivers. There should be more

roadside facilities available in order to counter this problem. This would allow

drivers peace of mind when travelling.

Distractions

Drivers continually turn their attention away from the road to focus on

other diversions such as cell phones, the radio and the dash board. This can be


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potentially harmful as the drivers concentration is limited by the division of focus.

Fuller and Santos provide a common driving reaction to stimuli overload:

Increasing following distance is a typical adaptive mechanism when drivers start

speaking on a mobile phone or doing other in-car tasks (193). This is a

subconscious response for the driver because they know that it will take them

longer to react to a stimulus since their attention is divided. For example, the

following data is from a study done by Summala, Lamble and Laakso in 1998.

The time it takes to react to the brake light from a car directly 60m ahead when

travelling 60 km/h, greatly varies, depending on where the drivers attention is at

that given moment. If they are looking at the bottom of their windscreen, it will

take 2.5s to notice a vehicle decelerating in front of them as opposed to 0.7s if

they were looking straight ahead. Comparing this with the reaction time of 5.5s it

takes when looking at the center console of the car, we see the importance

automobile manufacturers take in designing the interior of their vehicles to

ensure having intuitive controls. Since many vehicles are poorly designed on the

interior, driving education programs teach novices to avoid searching around for

things while driving. It is better to come to a complete stop before picking

something up that has fallen on the vehicles floor. As well, it is important to

constantly maintain a clear understanding of the environment by looking at alltheir mirrors as well as blind spots when driving.

Speeding is not deadly

There would be many more people dead on the side of the road if

speeding was the demon that journalists declare it to be. The truth is that

speeding on its own does not create such deadly conditions. The province of

Ontario put serious thought into raising the speed limit to 120 km/h for its

highways. Even the late Al Palladini, who was the Ontario Transportation

Minister in 1996, went on record supporting the idea. Unfortunately at that same

time, television and newsprint media saturated the public with stories about

high-profile highway accidents involving flying truck wheels [and tires] (Qtd.in


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Baillie). Needless to say, it would have been a public relations faux-pas had the

Ontario government proceeded with raising the speed limit.

What can we consider a safe highway cruising speed? Baillie states the

following: Studies indicate that 85 per cent of motorists already drive at speeds

of between 110 kilometres an hour and 130 kilometres an hour. David

Leonhardt, spokesman for the Canadian Automobile Association, says that

people are forced to make the decision between driving within the legal limit or

driving at a safe speed with the flow of traffic (Qtd. in Baillie). Csere quotes a

1992 study funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic safety, highlighting that

fatality rates are decreasing the most in states that raised speed limits as

opposed to those that didnt. It is thus implied from these two examples that

speeding does not kill; instead, it reduces fatality rates: Interstate deaths have

risen--but the fatality rate has fallen because of more cars and more miles

traveled (Kaye). Kaye goes on to say that there has been an increase in the

total number of interstate deaths; however, the fatality rate has fallen. This

makes sense because there are additional vehicles on the road every day.

Invariably, the odds are that the more vehicles on the road, the higher the

chances that there will be casualties. It is both interesting and encouraging to

observe a decrease in the fatality rate.As was also reported to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human

Rights above, Kaye states that two social factors help explain the reduction in the

number of highway casualties. They are increased seat-belt use and tougher

enforcement of drunk-driving laws (Kaye).

One particular situation that can cause problems is when there is a

significant differential in relative speeds: In several states, the speed limit for

trucks is now as much as 20 mph lower than for cars (Pedal). A passenger

vehicle might require executing an emergency manoeuvre since it is approaching

a tractor trailer more rapidly than the driver is expecting. Responsible speeders

are already aware of their relative speed compared to other drivers. They signal

their intentions and change lanes when appropriate. It is interesting to note that

occurrences of fatal collisions are mostly in large, thinly populated states


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(Kaye). This is most probably due to the lack of road congestion which by

definition signifies traffic slowdown.

Surprisingly, bad weather is a factor that keeps fatalities down since fewer

drivers are willing to brave the elements. In 1995, Montana was the only state

that thumbed its nose at Washington by instituting a Basic Rule formula for

regulating its highways. The rule required that motorists drive in a reasonable

and prudent manner according to the prevailing traffic, road and weather

conditions (Free state). State officials were prudent enough to instil a speed

limit of 65 mph at night. The way the law was constructed led to confusion.

However, Montana's Supreme Court deemed the basic rule too vague. Its

ruling was that motorists were not clear on whether they were committing an

infraction or not. Thus, a blanket speed limit was reinstated. It comes to a

surprise that safety was not the primary concern for the speed-limit proponents,

but the clarification of an ambiguous law was. One of the sponsors of the bill,

Arnie Mohl, admitted the following fact: Our accident rate went down and our

death rate went down during the basic-rule era: We had accidents, but most of

them were at night, when we had a speed limit. (Free state). This is more

tangible proof that speeding is not a major cause of highway fatalities. In

Montanas case, it even helped reduce the quantities of casualties.

Conclusion

Millions engage with the highway system daily and complete their journeys

safely, despite human factor influences. Does this give us permission to

undertake highway travel at high speeds? No, what it does mean is that being a

responsible driver consists of respecting lane discipline, avoiding taking the

wheel while impaired and minimising distractions. Only when these conditions

are met can a driver speed in a reasonable and prudent manner.


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Works Cited

Baillie, Andrea. Ontario government doesn't plan to raise speed limit

despite new study. Canadian Press Newswire. 7 April 2002.

Canada. Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.Toward

eliminating impaired driving. Ottawa: Public Works and Government

Services Canada Publishing, May 1999.

Csere, Csaba. The double-nickel is dead but not buried. Car and

Driver, March 1996 v41 n9 p7(1).

End of the last free state. The Economist (US), v351 i8121 p29. May

29, 1999.

Fuller, Ray and Jorge Santos. Human factors for highway engineers.

Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 2002.

Judge frees Ontario teen responsible for five deaths to go to school.

Canadian Press Newswire, July 7, 2001.

Kaye, Steven D. Hello 75, so long 55.U.S. News & World Report, Dec

18, 1995 v119 n24 p71(5).

National Cooperative Highway Research Program.Sleep deprivation

countermeasures for motorist safety. Washington D.C.: National

Academy Press, 2000.

Putting the pedal to the metal. Maclean's, June 10, 1996 v109 n24

p11(1).

Smith, Gary. Speeding to death and destruction.Briarpatch, July-

August 2003 v32 i6 p8(2).

Summala, H., D. Lamble, and M. Laakso. Driving experience and the

perception of the lead cars braking when looking at in-car

targets. Accident Analysis and Prevention. 28 (1998): 147-53.

is speeding the real highway killer?

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