The speed limit (statutory limit) is the limit authorized under the law. It is the speed that is posted on signs alongside roads.

1 Speeding increases braking distance

The faster a vehicle is moving, the longer the distance the vehicle will travel during the reaction time. The stopping distance more than doubles between 30 and 50 km/h and nearly triples between 50 and 100 km/h.

2 Speeding reduces a driver’s field of vision

The faster a vehicle is moving, the more information the brain receives, but it can only analyze a certain amount at any given time. At 100 km/h, it eliminates a large amount of peripheral information. This reduces your field of vision by half.

3 Speeding increases the severity of impacts

During a collision, a vehicle decelerates suddenly and passengers are thrown towards the point of impact (steering wheel, windshield, dashboard or other passengers).

An impact at:

  • 50 km/h is equivalent to falling from a 4-storey building.
  • 75 km/h is equivalent to falling from a 8-storey building.
  • 100 km/h is equivalent to falling from a 14-storey building.

Injury occurs as a result of the energy that is released at the moment of impact. Your internal organs (liver, lungs, heart, brain, etc.) travel at the same speed as your body when there is an impact. They are therefore projected against the internal walls of your body.

4 Speeding increases the risk of skidding

Motorists who speed run a higher risk of losing control of their vehicle. At high speeds, there is a higher risk of skidding out of control. If a vehicle is travelling too fast, the centrifugal force becomes greater than the force of friction between tires and the road, and a vehicle skids.

5 Speeding will not save you time!

  • Over a distance of 10 kilometres ,
    driving at 70 km/h in a 50 km/h zone saves you only 4 minutes.
  • Over a distance of 15 kilometres ,
    driving at 90 km/h in a 70 km/h zone saves you only 3 minutes.
  • Over a distance of 20 kilometres ,
    driving at 110 km/h in a 90 km/h zone saves you only 2 minutes.

Speeding to save a couple of minutes… add it up. It is ridiculous.

6 Speeding kills

If every driver reduced their average speed, the number of accidents and deaths happening every year on Québec roads would significantly decrease.

  • 15 fewer deaths for a reduction of 1 km/h.
  • 75 fewer deaths for a reduction of 5 km/h.
  • 150 fewer deaths for a reduction of 10 km/h.

Data based on a total of 500 deaths.