A speed limit is the maximum, legally permissible driving speed along a specific section of the road under good road and travel conditions.
Globally, speed limits are used to regulate travel speeds and improve safety on the road network.
in Pakistan speed limits are set considering two key factors:
Vehicle Class | Speed Limit | Location |
---|---|---|
Motor Cars/LTV | 120 km/h | Motorways |
HTV/PSV | 110 km/h | Motorways |
Motor Cars/LTV | 100 km/h | Highways |
HTV | 90 km/h | Highways |
All vehicles types | 80 km/h | Urban Arterial roads |
All vehicles types | 50-70 km/h | Urban Residential areas and Hilly areas |
All vehicles types | 40 km/h | Near schools/colleges, Hospitals and Mosque |
If you drive above the speed limit, you are speeding. If you drive at a speed which is too fast for the weather, road and/or traffic conditions, even if the posted speed limit is not exceeded- you are speeding. Speeding the one of the most commonly reported factors associated with crashes, yet, few drivers view speeding as an immediate risk to their personal safety. Speeding is the single biggest factor involved in road crashes. It increases the likelihood of a crash occurring, and increases the level of injury/seriousness of injury.
Worldwide, speed limits are one of the oldest and most proven strategies for controlling driving speeds and are regulated for several reasons, including:
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The higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter the time a driver has to stop and avoid a crash. A car travelling at 50 km/h will typically require 13 metres in which to stop, while a car travelling at 40 km/h will stop in less than 8.5 metres.
An increase in average speed of 1 km/h typically results in a 3% higher risk of a crash involving injury, with a 4–5% increase for crashes that result in fatalities.
If a driver doubles his/her speed – say from 40 km/h to 80km/ h – the braking distance does not become twice as long. It becomes four times as far. Traveling at 80 km/h, it will take about 6 seconds to stop the vehicle. The vehicle will travel approximately 302 feet before coming to a stop. That is longer than the length of a football field.
Vehicle stopping distance of the vehicle depends on four things:
The yellow line shows the reaction distance, while the red line shows the braking distance required by a car to stop.