Booking drivers for straying just a kilometre over the speed limit could lead to an increase in road accidents, according to a university study.
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But the Centre for Road Safety Executive Director Bernard Carlon said even going a few kilometres over the limit increased the chances of an accident.
Researchers at the University of Western Australia tested drivers under conditions where they could be fined for travelling one, six, or 11km/h over a 50km/h speed limit.
The results found drivers felt the strict speed limit enforcement was more demanding and tests showed they paid less attention to what was happening in their peripheral vision.
One of the authors of the study, Dr Vanessa Bowden said drivers have a limited pool of mental and visual resources and there is a decline in their functioning when they are divided between tasks.
“Similar effects have been shown for individuals who drive while talking on a phone or operating their car’s stereo,” Dr Bowden said.
“Our overall finding was that stricter speed enforcement may impair a driver’s ability to detect hazards, especially those on the side of the road, because drivers are dedicating more attention to monitoring their speed.”
Mr Carlon from the Centre for Road Safety said the posted speed limit was the maximum speed a driver could travel.
They could drive slower than that limit.
“Checking your speedometer is an essential part of driving and should be looked at frequently in addition to watching the road in order to drive safely,” Mr Carlon said.
He said the set speed limits take into account things like the crash history of the road and the surrounding environment.
“When it comes to speeding, ‘just a bit over’ means less time to react when the unexpected happens on the road,” Mr Carlon said.
“It can be the difference between being able to stop in time or not at all.
“In the event of a crash, any extra speed means more impact force on the human body, which can only tolerate so much before serious injury or death is inevitable.”