American Automobile Association (AAA) has found in a study that increasing speed limits can lead to more car crashes while reducing speed limits results in fewer car crashes.

While this sounds logical, many are of the view that hiking speed limit saves drivers time when it really endangers others.

The analysis is the latest to show that speed limits can affect road safety. AAA examined a dozen highways, half of which raised their speed limits and half dropped them. The group then compared before-and-after speed limit changes to traffic safety and travel times.

Two of the three roadways with high-speed limits had more collisions, injuries, and deaths. Despite raising the speed limit, commute times remained “comparable” to before. AAA suggests more research because other road types with higher speed restrictions did not experience increased collisions, injuries, or deaths.

Lowering speed limits had a small effect on commute times, which could disprove claims that changing restrictions hurt travel time and driver convenience. The study advises a “holistic approach” to speed limit changes, considering road type, land use, and crash statistics.

Source: Pro Pakistani