Study finds strict speed limits distract drivers

A new study has found strict speed enforcement may have a negative impact on road safety.

Tom Elliott spoke with Dr Vanessa Bowden from the University of Western Australia about the study, which separated drivers into three categories – strict (1km/h margin), medium (6km/h margin) and lenient (11km/h margin)

Drivers given the strictest speed limit were more likely to spend attention on checking their speed, rather than what was on the road.

‘What we found was that lowering the speeding threshold – so the point which you can be fined – could actually distract drivers from other aspects of safe driving, unfortaunately,’ she explained.

Click PLAY below to hear more about the study on 3AW