Speeding is not just about ignoring rules but is also shaped by social pressure, poor road design and weak enforcement systems, a research study based on evidence from nine countries by the George Institute of Global Health, New Delhi, has found. Global evidence shows that every 10 km/h reduction in average vehicle speed reduces the risk of a fatal crash by up to 40 per cent, making speed management one of the most powerful tools for saving lives.

The research, published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) Injury Prevention, is the first global qualitative evidence synthesis on why people speed. With rapid growth in car and motorcycle ownership, combined with limited public transportation, speeding and its deadly consequences are worsening.