Raise the Speed Limit?

DENVER (Jan. 12, 2021) - The number of pedestrians killed annually on Colorado’s roadways has nearly doubled since 2008, per new analysis from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and AAA Colorado. That surpasses a 55 percent nationwide increase in pedestrian deaths over the same period. All told, across the country, more pedestrians lost their lives in 2018 than in any year since 1990.

“We’re lucky to live in Colorado, where we cherish our active lifestyles – and where there are so many good reasons to leave the car at home and run, walk or bike. That pedestrian deaths here outpace the national average should ring alarm bells,” said Skyler McKinley, director of public affairs for AAA Colorado. “As we continue to grow, drivers, pedestrians and, most importantly, governments need to do more to protect our most vulnerable.”

The report’s key findings include: • In Colorado and across the country, the startling jump in deaths occurred almost entirely in urban areas, much of it at mid-block locations along arterials (major roads designed to move large volumes of traffic). Urban crashes account for 93 percent of the total national increase in pedestrian fatalities. • Non-white populations are over-represented among pedestrian fatalities. Deaths of Black and Hispanic pedestrians increased by a larger amount than white pedestrians on a percentage basis. • Nationwide, pedestrians killed at non-intersection locations without crosswalks rose 70 percent from 2009-2018. • Three of every four pedestrians killed on U.S. roads in 2018 were struck in darkness. Fatalities in darkness also account for the vast majority of the overall increase in pedestrian fatalities since 2009. The number of pedestrians killed in darkness in 2018 was larger than the total number of pedestrians killed in any and all lighting conditions in 2009, 2010 or 2011. • 84 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2018, and 84 percent of the overall increase in pedestrian fatalities over the study period, occurred on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or higher. Past AAA Foundation research has shown that when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, their chances of survival drops precipitously with each additional mile per hour increase in speed at speeds above roughly 25 mph. • Alcohol remains a problem among pedestrian fatalities, as 32 percent of all pedestrians who died had a blood alcohol concentration equal to or greater than the legal limit for driving. Still, sober pedestrians’ fatalities increased by a larger amount over the study period, both in raw numbers and on a percentage basis. The number of sober pedestrians killed in 2018 was nearly as large as the total number of pedestrians killed in 2009.

“As we work to eliminate preventable tragedies on our roadways, it’s imperative we avoid a blame game between pedestrians and motorists,” McKinley said. “The bottom line is that everybody has the same right to use our transportation infrastructure without fearing for their life. The data suggest that pedestrians should take care to cross at crosswalks, when possible. Drivers, in turn, need to be more vigilant – especially in urban areas, and especially at night. Finally, governments must seriously evaluate lowering speed limits and changing roadway design in pedestrian-heavy corridors. We can reverse this trend, but it’s going to take working together.”

Safety Tips for Drivers • Look out for pedestrians at all times. When you are operating a vehicle, you have accepted a heightened responsibility for other people on the road. Safety is a two-way street. Often, pedestrians— especially younger ones— are not where you would expect them to be. Remain vigilant. • Follow posted speed limits, especially in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic. This is even more important in areas that have lower speed limits, such as school zones and neighborhood streets where pedestrians may appear suddenly. • Overall visibility is limited in bad weather conditions and poorly lit areas. Not only is it more difficult for drivers to see oncoming pedestrians, it also is harder for pedestrians to see you. Make sure your lights are on and you use your signals properly. Use extra caution in these circumstances. • Put down your phone. Smartphones and handheld electronic devices take your eyes off of the road and distract your attention. • Always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. When approaching a crosswalk, reduce your speed and be prepared to stop. When you are stopped at a crosswalk, allow enough room between your vehicle and the crosswalk so other drivers can see the pedestrians you have stopped for. Do not pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk: They have stopped to allow pedestrians to pass or make sure the way is clear.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians • Never assume a driver will give you the right of way. Make every effort to make eye contact with the driver of a stopped or approaching vehicle before entering the roadway. • Use crosswalks when crossing the street. If a crosswalk is unavailable, be sure to find the most well-lit spot on the road to cross and wait for a long enough gap in traffic to make it safely across the street. • Stay on sidewalks whenever possible. If a sidewalk is not available, be sure to walk on the far side of the road facing traffic. This will help increase your visibility to drivers. • Know and follow all traffic rules, signs and signals. You need to be aware of the rules vehicles around you must follow to properly anticipate what drivers will do.

DENVER (Jan. 28, 2021) - Cutting down on congestion and improving traffic flow is as easy as raising the speed limit, right? Dead wrong: New crash tests by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Humanetics have found that cars just can’t protect drivers well enough to justify higher speeds. Colorado’s own AAA-The Auto Club Group provided funding for the crash test research.

As it turns out, even small speed increases can have huge effects in crash outcomes. Together, the safety organizations conducted crashes at three different impact speeds: 40, 50, and 56 miles per hour. Slightly higher speeds were all it took to increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death.

Key Findings

Three 2010 Honda CR-V EX crossovers were used in testing because they represented the average age (11.8 years) of a typical vehicle on U.S. roadways – and they earned the top rating in the IIHS moderate overlap front test.

At the 40 mph impact speed, there was minimal intrusion into the driver’s space. But at the 50 mph impact speed, there was noticeable deformation of the driver side door opening, dashboard and foot area. At 56 mph, the vehicle interior was significantly compromised, with the dummy’s sensors registering severe neck injuries and a likelihood of fractures to the long bones in the lower leg.

What’s worse, at both 50 and 56 mph, the steering wheel’s upward movement caused the dummy’s head to go through the deployed airbag. This caused the face to smash into the steering wheel. Measurements taken from the dummy showed a high risk of facial fractures and severe brain injury.

“It’s true that cars are getting safer, to a point. But higher speed limits effectively cancel out the benefits of vehicle safety improvements, such as airbags and improved structural designs,” said Skyler McKinley, director of public affairs for AAA Colorado. “The faster a driver is going before a crash, the less likely it is that they’ll be able to get down to a survivable speed even if they have a chance to brake before impact.”

The Impact

Drivers often travel faster than posted speed limits, and so policymakers are tempted to raise limits to match travel speeds. Even then, unfortunately, people still go faster. Today, 41 states allow 70 mph or higher speeds on some roadways - including Colorado.

It’s more than just a number. In Colorado, in 2018, 33 percent of all fatalities and 33 percent of all crashes had a speed-related component. All told, across the country, a 2019 IIHS study found that rising speed limits have cost nearly 37,000 lives over 25 years.

Drivers tend to overestimate the time saved by speeding, as do policymakers when it comes to raising speed limits. A motorist would have to travel 100 miles to save roughly 5 minutes, moving at 80 mph instead of 75 mph. Speed kills and isn’t worth the cost.

And, because higher speeds tend to increase the severity of and emergency resources necessary to attend to crashes, they tend to slow down traffic by creating more congestion.

The Solution

When correctly set and enforced, speed limits improve traffic flow and maximize all public road users’ safety. They should never be raised - or lowered - only to manipulate traffic volume on a particular roadway. The end goal shouldn’t be expecting drivers to obey the speed limit; they won’t. Rather, policymakers and engineers should consider infrastructure changes based on road type to calm traffic flow such that speed limits are followed.

In a pinch, they should also consider proven countermeasures: high-visibility enforceent and carefully implemented speed-camera programs that consistently and equitably enforce speed limits 24/7.

“Cars are safer than they’ve ever been, but nobody’s figured out how to make them defy the laws of physics,” McKinley said. “This research underscores just how dangerous high speeds often are, and why there are speed limits in the first place. A speeding driver may arrive at their destination a few minutes faster, but is worth the tradeoff of losing your life in a crash?”

About the research testing: The research tests were conducted following the same protocol that is used for the IIHS moderate overlap evaluation; only the speed was varied. With a test dummy representing an average-sized male in the driver’s seat, the cars were crashed with 40 percent of the vehicle’s front on the driver side overlapping the barrier.

IIHS has been conducting this type of test, which simulates a head-on, partial-overlap impact between two vehicles of the same weight and size traveling at the same speed, since 1995. Since 2013, 100 percent of new vehicles have earned a good rating when tested at the 40 mph impact speed.