SHLOW · SHLOW – ‘Show Me How Slow’: Mobilising Evidence from Transport Research into Speed

There is a well documented relationship between speed and collisions. Excessive and inappropriate speed is the single biggest contributory factor in fatal road crashes. It increases both the risk of a crash happening and the severity of injuries resulting from crashes. Speed – which encompasses excessive speed (i.e. driving above the speed limits) or inappropriate speed (driving too fast for the prevailing conditions, but within the legal limits) is contributing to as much as one third of fatal accidents and an aggravating fact in all accidents. Speeding poses particular risks to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists as well. Moreover, speed reduction mitigates the negative environmental impacts of transport. Excessive speed contributes to significant adverse impacts on the environment, as the level of exhaust emissions; fuel consumption and noise emitted by vehicles are closely related to vehicle speed. Speed has also an important impact on the quality of life in urban areas, where fast moving vehicles can interfere with the quality of life of urban residents. Mitigating speed is therefore a cornerstone in bringing safety and sustainability together. The objective of the SHLOW Project is to raise citizens’ awareness on the link between safety and sustainability in transport research and policy by focusing on speed management as a major aspect in preventing road casualties and protecting the environment. In addition to generally highlighting EU research results in this important area, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and its national member organsations will promote further research into the acceptance and use of ‘speed management technologies’ such as Intelligent Speed Assistance systems.