Speeding is a major road safety problem in all countries. Faster driving speeds increase the likelihood of a crash occurring, and the severity of its consequences. Interventions to reduce speed can lead to significant reductions in road traffic injuries. In urban areas, with high concentrations of pedestrians and cyclists, measures to reduce speed are critical to the safety of these road users. Excessive speeding is a worldwide problem affecting the entire road network (motorways and highways, and rural and urban roads) and anybody travelling on the same.
Although most countries have enacted national speed limit laws, their enforcement is often lacking: as per a WHO global road safety report, only 26 countries rate enforcement of their national speed limits at “good” (8 or above on a scale of 0 to 10). Even in high-income countries, which tend to have more financial resources to dedicate to enforcement, speed law enforcement remains weak, with only 20% of high-income countries reporting good enforcement. Enforcement of speed limits is essential for successfully developing safer driving conditions and needs to be given increasing emphasis in most countries.
In many countries the maximum speed of commercial vehicles are restricted by the installation of Road Speed Limiters. Road Speed Limiters were introduced in Europe in commercial trucks and passenger service vehicles initially to curb the maximum speed as this was seen as a major threat to road safety. While enforcing speed limits through fines has been seen as the main model of approach, it has been found to be difficult to implement without huge infrastructural spends in enforcing of the negative incentives and regular monitoring of the same. Even after the installation of speed monitoring infrastructure on roads the accident rates due to speeding have not dwindled to the required numbers. Studies have revealed that drivers become aware of the locations where such devices were installed and accelerate to speeds over the limit at non-monitored areas.
Speed limiters are devices that interact with a truck engine to only permit the attainment of a pre-programmed maximum speed. Many truck fleets use speed limiters for their safety contribution as well as to reduce fuel use and tire wear, with the speed set at a level optimum for these factors. Road Speed Limiters work on the ideology of prevention being the best cure rather than negatively incentivizing the drivers. Research has also found that while negative incentives do work over the short run, it cannot account for human behavioural tendencies. Speeding as such being a very impulsive behavioural trait it becomes all the more important to control the vehicle rather than controlling the driver. While controlling all vehicles is not suggested, it is imperative to have the same implemented in vehicles for non-private use as the driver behaviour affects not only him but also the other passengers in the vehicle. In case of non-passenger vehicles also the material being transported is at risk. Also it has to be understood that the maximum limit on the vehicles may be higher, these vehicles have been designed to transport people and not to move at excessive speeds. In the attempt to move faster the lives of passengers are inadvertently being put at risk.
The Benefits of Speed Limiter includes:
- For substantial fuel savings
- The cost of the speed limiter would be repaid in less than a month
- Reduction of Co2 emissions associated with improved fuel consumption
- Lower brake, tyre maintenance costs
- Reduction in vehicle downtime for unscheduled repair/maintenance
- Increased service life for vehicle mechanical components
- Lower insurance premiums
- Reduced number of high speed accidents
- Less chance of expensively trained staff being lost through speed bans
Autograde’s best in class speed governor systems for trucks, buses, pickups and other commercial vehicles helps you with monitoring speed limits and ensuring road safety. Choose from an array of fuel types (DASS-86), cable types(C-DRIVE), and electronic speed limiters (SAFE DRIVE). Autograde’s prime focus is to deliver products and services and ensure safety on the roads.