Gillinge busts some myths about speed
What is true and what is false?
1. Everyone drives a bit too fast!
FALSE!
It’s maybe possible to feel that everyone is driving to fast, when driving on highway E4 and being overtaken again and again. But this is not the case! About 50% of all drivers keep to the speed limits. And most of those who don’t, only drive slightly too fast.
2. 90 or 100 km/h does not matter!
FALSE!
The difference between 90 km/h and 100 km/h is MORE than 10 km/h. In a sense, the difference is actually 50 km/h. How is this possible? Well, when the person who was driving at 90 km/h has braked and stopped, the person who started braking at 100 km/h is still going at 50 km/h. In many traffic situations, this can be the difference between life and death.
3. Increasing speeds is better for the economy – time is money!
FALSE!
If the average speed were to be reduced by 10 km/h on all our roads, each driver would lose on average between five and ten minutes per day. And time is money – but is it that simple? No, it isn’t. The same average motorist would save around 600 SEK in gasoline and tire wear costs. The cost of punctured tires would be reduced by tens of thousands of Swedish kronor per year and emissions would be reduced by a few percent. But the most important thing is that around 200 people would not die in traffic each year, and thousands would not be injured.
