Enterprise High School Joe Thornton Enterprise High School

Factors Related to Youthful Drivers Relationships between speed and traffic fatalities.

Are Drivers Actually at Risk? Driving involves risk- the possibility of personal injuries or damage to vehicles and property. Important Facts: 1. In any given year the likelihood of your being involved in a crash is about 1 in 9. 2. In any given year, your chances of suffering a disabling injury are about 1in 83. 3. Motor vehicle crashes kill about 38 percent of all people between the ages of 15 to 20. 4. Approximately 85 percent of these traffic deaths occur in the first collision in which the vehicle’s occupants are involved. 5. More than 57 percent of all fatal crashes involve only one vehicle.

Absolute Speed Limit The maximum or minimum posted speed limit at which one may drive under normal conditions. The posted speed limit

Basic Speed Laws Any speed below the absolute speed limit that is safe under existing conditions. A safe speed at any particular time is determined by the type and condition of the road. Other important factors are traffic weather, and light.

Speed Related Crashes In 2005 alone, 13,113 people died in speed-related crashes, accounting for 30% of all fatalities. Research shows that exceeding the speed of surrounding traffic results in higher crash risks, as seen in the following chart.

Fatal Crashes as Related to Speed More than half of all fatal crashes occur on roads posted limits of 55 mph or more. Driving faster than the posted speed limit is never safe or reasonalble, and it is always against the law.

The Higher the Speed: 1. The less time the driver has to spot dangerous situations and take action. 2. The greater the time and distance it takes to change direction or stop and vehicle. 3. The greater the chance the vehicle will skid or roll over on a turn. 4. The greater chances of collision, personal injuries, and property damage

Natural Laws Natural Laws can not be broken. Inertia- The tendency of an object in motion to stay in motion. Momentum- the energy of motion; the product of weight and speed. Kinetic Energy- the energy of motion. Centrifugal Force- the point around which all weight of an object is evenly placed.

Total Stopping Distance The distance to bring a vehicle to a complete stop from the time of perception until the wheels actually stop rolling.

Three components to Total Stopping Distance 1. Perception Time 2. Reaction Time 3. Actual Braking Distance

Ratio of Speed to Stopping Distance