Know Your Limits

Road safety campaign aimed at speeding van drivers

Each year drivers of vans and small goods vehicles are killed and lots more are seriously injured in collisions on Lincolnshire roads.  This does not take into account injuries sustained by other road users.  Although a high number of these collisions are speed related, many drivers still choose to exceed speed limits, endangering themselves, their passengers and other road users.

In the past 3 years in Lincolnshire, there have been 32 fatal, 50 serious and 490 slight injury road traffic collisions involving goods vehicles under 7.5 tonnes.  What speed it is safe to drive at is a continuous decision making process and to that extent is a more difficult judgement to make.  Many of the collisions that occur in this County are avoidable and speed is a significant contributory factor in a high number of these accidents.

Goods vehicles take longer to stop than cars because of their additional weight and the faster they travel the harder it is to avoid a collision.  Consequently, collisions involving goods vehicles are often more devastating.  This is the reason why different speed limits apply to goods vehicles. 

The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership is urging van drivers to ‘know your limit’ before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Promotional material in support of this campaign is being disseminated amongst commercial, fleet and van hire companies in Lincolnshire.

Partnership spokesperson, Brian Burns said “It does concern me that some van drivers are not aware of speed limits for their class of vehicle.  Drivers are constantly being caught out at static and mobile camera sites, and this is very much an avoidable occurrence.  Speeding is dangerous and increases the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal road collision.  Ignorance of the law is by no means a defence and those who are unsure need to acquaint themselves with the Highway Code.  It is your responsibility to ‘know your limit’.