Slowing Down to Save More Lives

Have you ever wondered if driving at 80 km/h or 100 km/h on a countryside road makes any difference? The truth is that speed limits are set to keep everyone safe, and this minor difference in speed has a major impact on road safety.

Being mindful of speed limits and staying alert on the road to avoid disastrous outcomes cannot be emphasized enough. Consider this scenario: you are driving down an empty road at 80 km/h when suddenly, a large deer appears in your path. Your vehicle's Automated Emergency Braking system brings you to a complete stop after a 30-meter distance. What if you were traveling at 100 km/h instead? Even after covering the same distance, your speed would still be a dangerous 60 km/h.

To understand the full impact of speed, we can compare the energy in the crash to falling from heights. At 60 km/h, the crash is equivalent to falling from the 4th floor. So, instead of not crashing at all when driving at 80 km/h, you will experience something like falling from the 4th floor when driving at 100 km/h. Furthermore, crashing at 80 km/h is similar to falling from the 8th floor and at 100 km/h from the 13th floor. Watch an advanced computer simulation showing the consequences of a 100 km/h crash:

At 80 km/h, there is still significant damage to the cars, however less than at 100 km/h, with a 64% reduction in compartment intrusion at the A-pillar and "marginal" deformations, according to IIHS car safety ratings.

Mathematical models based on detailed data collections of past crashes support these intuitive conclusions about the safety of a crash. To illustrate this, Australian researchers concluded that the probability of getting seriously injured in a head-on crash increased from 15% at 60 km/h to 55% at 80 km/h and reached 90% at 100 km/h.

The data is clear, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to staying safe on the road. A collision at 100 km/h is like falling from the 13th floor, increasing the risk of severe injury, while a crash at 80 km/h offers a better chance of survival due to the car's ability to withstand the impact, and the airbags and seatbelts' ability to cushion the collision.

What can you do to increase your safety on the road?

• Drive within the speed limit.?
• Advocate for appropriate speed limits in your area.?
• Consider the significant consequences of even small differences in speed.?
• Consider purchasing a vehicle with AEB (Automated Emergency Braking).?
• Choose a vehicle with advanced seatbelts and airbags to reduce the likelihood of injury in a collision at manageable speeds.

What will Autoliv do to increase your safety on the road?

We will continue to develop innovative protective systems such as seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels that offer maximum protection from low to high – but manageable – speeds. Here is some of the work we presented recently on protecting car occupants in high severity crashes, at the 27th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) Yokohama, Japan, April 3-6, 2023, https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/esv/27th/.