Too often, we hear the sad tale of loved ones being lost in a car accident because a driver, not necessarily in the same vehicle, was exceeding the speed limit. The numbers, particularly over the holiday period, were becoming too high and so some time ago the technology of speeding cameras was implemented.
Whilst any death on the road is always one too many, the number of motorists who are fined for speeding has dropped over the years and this is largely thanks to the presence of speeding cameras keeping drivers to the speed limits.
Some drivers may view these speeding cameras as a sneaky way to increase revenue and they feel somehow bitter about them being in use, but on the other side of the coin, many think they are a great idea, and for a good reason.
Follow the speed limit: increasing your chances of living
A great amount of people may think it is nothing to travel at 10kms over the speed limit and a few may even think it is nothing to go over that. But there is no way around the point that, speeding does in fact take lives.
In fact, even travelling 5km over the limit increases the chance of casualty by two, and you are 32 times more likely to have a casualty in an accident where the driver is exceeding the speed limit by 20km.
However, the news is far worse for pedestrians who are in the wrong place at the wrong time where a speeding driver is concerned. There is an 85% chance that the collision will be fatal if the car is travelling at 50km, a far slower limit than what some motorists travel at.
Hire cars and tourists are not immune
There are some myths involved with speeding, speeding cameras and fines that can occur. If you are travelling in a car rental, and whether you are a tourist or not, you are not immune to the speeding laws and fines.
The best thing you can do when travelling in a hire vehicle is to stick to the speed limit and always be wary of other drivers. There are no tricks to escaping the eye of speed cameras. Changing lanes and trying to hide the number plate will not help; speed cameras are highly accurate and they are regularly checked.
Do the right thing when you hire a vehicle and drive as if it were your own; drive responsibly.