Safe Speed Forums

The link between speed and road accidents has been highlighted within Government strategies to reduce road casualties, particularly the numbers of people killed and seriously injured. In 2003 39% of accidents in Hertfordshire were speed related (factors include speeding, miss-judged speed or excessive speed for conditions). Whilst speeding was a factor in only 7% of all accidents, speeding is more often a factor in KSI accidents than in slight injury accidents. Speeding was a factor in nearly 20% of fatal accidents and 11.5% of serious accidents. In 2003 the annual speed-monitoring programme showed that 44% of vehicles were exceeding the limit in 30mph areas, and on 70mph limit roads 20% of vehicles were exceeding the limit.

It is recognised that there may be roads in the County where speed limits are currently too low and it is important that suitable and realistic speed limits are used.