The speed of motor vehicles is universally agreed to be the most important factor contributing to crash, injuries and fatalities on roads. Speed influences both crash risk and crash consequence.

Excess speed refers to a vehicle exceeding the prescribed speed limit and inappropriate speed refers to a vehicle traveling at a speed unsuitable for the prevailing road and traffic conditions.

Modern cars fitted with more efficient engines have very high acceleration and can achieve high speeds within a very short time and distance. Crash risk increases as speed increases especially at road junctions and while overtaking – as road users underestimate this speed and overestimate the distance of an approaching vehicle

Further, in developing countries with a mixed traffic and high volume of vulnerable road users, increased speed has significantly contributed to an increasing trend of fatalities on Indian roads.

Empirical evidence from speed studies has shown that an increase of one KM per hour in mean traffic speed typically results in a 3% increase in the incidence of injury crashes or an increase of 4% to 5% for fatal crashes.

Speed has an exponentially detrimental effect on safety. As speed increase so do the number and severity of injuries. Studies show that the higher the impact speed the greater the likelihood of serious and fatal injuries.

1. For car occupant, an increase in speed from 20 Kms to 100 Kms, the probability of fatal injuries increases from close to zero to almost 100%.
2. The probability of serious injury for belted front seat occupants is three times as great at 48 km/hr and four times as great at 64 km/hr, compared with the risk at 32 km/hr.
3. Pedestrians have a 90% chance of surviving car crashes at 30 km/hr or below, but less than a 50% chance of surviving impacts at 45 km/hr or above.
4. The probability of pedestrians being killed rises by a factor of 8 as the impact speed of the car increases from 30 km/hr to 50 km/hr.

SPEEDING CAN BE A CAUSE OF SEVERE CRASH

Older pedestrians are even more physically vulnerable as speed increases.

1. Drivers get lesser time to avoid mishap and the stopping distance lengthens which increases both the likelihood of crashing and the severity of the crashes.
2. The vehicle structure is rendered incapable of withstanding the force of the crash which results in serious injury to the occupants.
3. The protection capability of restraint systems such as airbags and safety belts and roadside hardware and safety features such as barriers and bridge rails become nullified.
4. Vehicles become prone to increased tire tread wear, rise in tire weakening operation temperature, longer stopping distances and increased brake wear.
5. At faster speeds the driver’s ability to accurately see and judge the distances get compromised

Vehicle Engineering and design play a major role in safety of both the occupant and those outside the vehicle in the event of a crash. Vehicle engineering for improve safety can be achieved by modifying a vehicle to help the driver, avoid a crash or in the event of a crash, protect both those inside and outside the car against the injury.

Research indicates that vehicle crash protection is a most effective strategy for reducing death and serious injuries in road crashes. According to a WHO report, citing the effectiveness of casualty reduction measures in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 found that the greatest contribution to reducing casualties was crash protection improvements to vehicles. These accounted for around 15% of the reduction compared with 11% for drink – drive measures and 6.5% for road safety engineering measures.

During the 1990′s significant steps have been taken to improve designs of vehicles in developing countries and especially in India. However, more efforts are required on this front for improving design factor for protection of those outside the vehicle i.e. the vulnerable road users as the dominant category of road casualties upto 2020 will continue to be the pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists.

The majority of fatally injured pedestrians are hit by the fronts of cars and heavy vehicles. Creating safer fronts, if thus, the key means of improving pedestrian safety. Preliminary investigations have suggested that reduction in injuries could be achieved if the geometry and design of vans, pickup trucks, other trucks and buses were changed.

For construction and maintenance of roads in the NCT of Delhi, there are following road maintaining agencies:-

1. Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
2. New Delhi Municipal Council.
3. Public Works Department, GNCT of Delhi.
4. Delhi Development Authority.
5. Delhi Cantonment Board.
6. National Highways Authority of India.

Any authority intending to carry out construction, maintenance or repair works on any road or street in the NCT of Delhi is required to obtain permission from Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic to undertake such works as permitted during the specified timings and period. While carrying out such repair and maintenance works, the civic road agencies are required to follow the following guidelines :

1. All safety measures should be adopted for smooth and safe flow of traffic.
2. All necessary road signages with fluorescent tape (mandatory, warning and informatory) should be fixed for traffic guidance along the route and at the site.
3. Other necessary road safety measures as per the requirement should also be adopted at the site from time to time.
4. No malba/material etc. should be kept on the road while carrying out civic works.
5. The civic works should not hamper the normal flow of traffic at the site.
6. The work should be completed within the allotted time period.
7. Alternative passage provided should be in proper shape and no inconvenience should be caused to the road users.