News Flash

Overview

Most drivers believe they can easily handle driving slightly over the speed limit, and that this behavior is not dangerous. However, the truth is that most speeding deaths occur at no more than 10km/h over the speed limit. Evidence shows that small changes in speed can have big impact on the outcome of a crash:

• Going 5 km/h over in a 60km/h zone doubles your risk of having a crash
• Going 10 km/h over in a 60km/h zone means you’re four times as likely to be injured in a crash.

Find out more information and facts about speeding.

The ‘Casual Speeding. Every K counts’ campaign challenges motorists to rethink their attitude that driving slightly over the speed limit is not risky and encourages everyone to adjust their behavior to not drive over the speed limit, at any level.

It demonstrates the real risks and consequences of going ‘just a bit’ over the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions. The campaign highlights how your decision to drive ‘a few k’s’ over the speed limit can seriously impact yourself and others.

It reminds motorists that they can make a difference by making the safe choice to never exceed the speed limit and to drive to the prevailing road conditions every time they get behind the wheel.

Main messages

• Casual speeding is the biggest cause of deaths and serious injuries on NSW roads^1,2,3
• Let's stop being casual about speeding
• Casual speeding. Every K counts
• Most speeding deaths occur at no more than 10km/h over^1,3,4
• Going 65 in a 60 zone doubles your risk of crashing³

1. Speed-related or speeding crashes refers to those crashes where at least one motor vehicle controller involved was recorded by police as traveling above the sign posted speed limit, and also crashes where at least one motor vehicle controller involved was recorded by police as traveling at excessive speed or inappropriate for the road or conditions (e.g. lost control on a corner with no other behavioral factors involved). Find more information on how we collect and define speed statistics.

2. Casual speeding is defined as a crash in which at least one motor vehicle controller involved was recorded by police as speeding with a travel speed 10km/h or less over the sign-posted speed limit. In addition, no other vehicles involved had a travel speed more than 10km/h over the sign-posted speed limit, or were reported by police as ‘excessive’ travel speed.

3. 2015-19 data.

4. Fifty two per cent of all deaths (road users) from speed-related crashes in 2015-19 occurred where no motor vehicle controller involved was recorded to be traveling more than 10km/h over the speed limit. When calculating the proportion of all speed-related deaths that involved ‘casual speeding,’ a small proportion of crashes in which one or more speeding vehicles did not have a recorded travel speed were excluded from the analysis.

FAQs

1. What is casual speeding?
2. Why is casual speeding an issue?

1. What is casual speeding?

Casual speeding refers to the behavior of going ‘just a bit’ over the speed limit or not driving to conditions. Research shows that motorists commonly engage in this type of speeding and do not see it as risky or dangerous.

2. Why is casual speeding an issue?

Research shows that most drivers and riders admit to speeding and believe all motorists do. NSW crash data shows that casual speeding is the biggest contributor to deaths and serious injuries on our roads. In 2015-19, at least two thirds of speed-related deaths and serious injuries on NSW roads occurred when a speeding driver or rider was traveling no more than 10km/h over the sign posted speed limit.