Paul Messam, Gleaner Writer

Speeding makes no sense, but removes cents from your pocket. An erratic pace, punctuated by bursts of great speed and periods of cautious creeping, generally results, given the nature of our roads. Experts regard speeding as one of the greatest risks in the driving process and the intersection as the greatest threat. "Finding a comfortable speed should be the first duty of the defensive driver when he commences his highway or byway trip," advises Owen Toyloy of O & D Driving School.

He explains that there is a speed at which a driver and his motor vehicle seem to function best. This speed will vary from day to day, as it will depend on: 1. The condition of the roads 2. The weather, which has been overwhelmed with showers in recent times 3. The driver's capabilities, and 4. The mechanical condition of the vehicle. "The speed at which we operate should fall somewhere near the requirements of the road code," says Toyloy. He also says that any driver who zooms along without due care for the road code and the law has a concentration that is considerably reduced. According to Dr. H. Persaud, a driver should stay within the speed limit as the mental strain and distraction on the driver, who is travelling above the legal speed can greatly increase the danger of an accident.

force of impact

The force of impact with which one moving object cuts another object is referred to as the "force of impact". Milton Vassall, human resources consultant believes that a person's driving manners reflect the way he treats others in his everyday life. According to Vassall, if safety on the roads is an attitude of the mind, then humility is one of the ingredients. "Therefore, for many drivers, this will mean a change of temperament from speeding to careful driving," he says.

"Driving should involve being conscious of others on our roads, being unselfish and applying the biblical golden rule and principles which express that" all therefore, that you want men to do to you, you must likewise do to them.

Experts agree that there are three factors which determine how hard the force of impact will be when a car hits another object: These are speed, weight and distance between impact stop. When a moving object hits something, its speed is the most important factor which determines how hard it hits. Therefore, according to auto mechanic, Anthony Mitchell, the force of impact increases with the square of the increase in its speed. For example, a motor car travelling at 20 mph hits a solid object four times harder than it would have if it were moving at 10 mph. At say 40 mph, the car will hit 16 times harder than at 10 mph. "So if the driver and passengers are thrown against the dashboard at 40 mph, they will be seriously injured or killed," says Mitchell.

Small reductions in speed can greatly lower the damage in a collision. He advises motorists to think carefully about speeding as it is important to reduce speed just before a collision. Additionally, the heavier the vehicle, the harder the hit. In fact, a car that weighs twice as much will hit a solid object twice as hard. Also, the distance a car covers between the time it first hits an object and its final stop can vary greatly.

"Our attitudes while driving on the roads are a manifestation of the values we hold" say Racquel McCarthy, counselling psychologist. "Attitudes reveal our behaviour; they are beliefs and feelings that predisposes people in particular ways towards objects, people and events". According to McCarthy, there are three components to attitude: the mental component; which is the belief and the attitude; The Affective component; which involves feelings and emotions; and the Behavioural component which is the intended behaviour. She pointed out that our attitude to excessive speeding along with careless, thoughtless driving needs instant change. "Attitudes in how we drive can make a whole lot of difference, as good attitude produces good results and bad attitudes are likely to produce poor responses. "But attitudes change over time and can be measured" says McCarthy. She further explained that the road is not a field for "showing off", for speeding, impatience or for selfishness.

After a driver's foot reaches the brake pedal, it takes an additional distance to stop the vehicle. This is called braking distance, and depends on several factors: Speed of the car; the condition of the road surface; the efficiency of the brakes; the conditions of they tyre treads and the extent of the tyre inflation. If we plan our route, plan our day's activities carefully and leave for work or business early, there is really no need to speed.