Road Safety Truth Sheet: Understanding Speed, Impact Forces, and Child Safety
Purpose:
To provide evidence-based, engineering-accurate information so policy decisions and public messaging reflect real-world causes of injury and death on our roads.
1. The Physics: Speed Alone Doesn’t Kill — Impact Forces Do
Injury and fatality occur when the human body experiences force, usually from:
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Impact (sudden deceleration)
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Crush forces (vehicle rolling over a person)
These forces—not “speed” as a number—cause physical harm.
Higher speed increases crash forces, but even low speeds can be lethal in run-over incidents due to vehicle weight and visibility limitations.
2. Why Low-Speed Run-Overs Kill Children
Child fatalities at low speeds usually involve:
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A child being unseen by the driver
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A vehicle reversing or moving slowly
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The child being run over, causing fatal crush injuries
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Large vehicle mass, high bonnet lines, and blind zones
These tragedies are visibility and design problems, not speed problems.
3. What “Speed Kills” Gets Right—and Wrong
Right:
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Higher speeds significantly increase the risk and severity of road crashes.
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Speed management is important on public roads.
Wrong (or incomplete):
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It suggests speed is the sole cause of death.
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It hides the role of visibility, road design, and vehicle engineering.
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It fails to address low-speed driveway and parking-lot fatalities.
A more accurate public message is:
“Impact forces kill. Speed increases those forces, but vehicle design and visibility are critical for protecting children.”
4. Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations
A. For Public Roads
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Set speed limits based on road design, not slogans.
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Improve road design to reduce crash severity (narrow lanes, roundabouts, raised crossings).
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Prioritise pedestrian-safe environments near schools and neighbourhoods.
B. For Driveways, Car Parks, and Residential Areas
Most child run-over deaths occur off public roads.
Key measures:
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Mandatory front and rear automated emergency braking
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360° camera systems for new vehicles
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Public education on blind zones around vehicles
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Encourage driveway designs that separate play areas from vehicle paths
C. For Vehicles
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Improve vehicle front-end visibility standards
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Encourage lower bonnet heights where possible
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Expand child-safety technology requirements
5. Why This Matters
Effective safety policy must reflect real-world human behaviour and accurate engineering principles.
Oversimplified slogans can unintentionally misdirect attention and resources.
When messaging and policy are aligned with truth, we get:
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Fewer fatalities
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Higher public trust
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Better long-term safety outcomes
