For many motorists, driving faster often feels like the quickest way to save time. Whether rushing to work, heading home after a long day, or trying to make up lost time on the road, increasing speed can seem worth it at first glance. However, when the numbers are broken down, the relationship between speed, travel time, and accident risk tells a very different story.
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Using a simple 100km travel example, driving at 20km/h would take five hours to complete the journey. Increasing that speed to 40km/h cuts the trip down dramatically to two-and-a-half hours, saving a total of two hours and 30 minutes. But as speeds continue to rise, the time savings begin shrinking rapidly. Travelling at 60km/h reduces the journey to around one hour and 40 minutes, while 80km/h cuts it to about one hour and 15 minutes. At 100km/h, the journey takes one hour, and at 120km/h it drops to roughly 50 minutes.
The important detail is not just the overall time saved, but how little is gained at higher speeds. The jump from 20km/h to 40km/h saves 150 minutes, but increasing from 100km/h to 120km/h only saves around 10 additional minutes over the same distance.
While the time savings begin to level out, the risk associated with higher speeds does not. Road safety research from organisations such as the World Health Organization has consistently shown that crash severity and fatality risk rise sharply as speed increases. Even relatively small increases in speed can significantly reduce reaction time, increase stopping distance, and dramatically worsen the impact forces involved in a collision.
Researchers often describe this as a “non-linear” relationship. In simple terms, this means the danger grows much faster than the reward. A driver may only gain a few extra minutes by driving significantly faster, but the likelihood of severe injury or death in a serious collision can rise exponentially.
This is especially important on South African roads, where factors such as wildlife crossings, pedestrians, potholes, weather conditions, fatigue, and unexpected traffic behaviour can already increase risk levels. At higher speeds, drivers have less time to react to these hazards, while vehicles require much longer distances to stop safely.
The comparison highlights a sobering reality: while higher speeds may appear to save time, the benefits become smaller and smaller, while the potential consequences become far more severe.
Motorists are encouraged to obey speed limits, remain alert behind the wheel, maintain safe following distances, and remember that arriving safely is ultimately more important than saving a few minutes on a journey.