Samenvatting
The author claims that speed limits do not by themselves necessarily bring about a reduction in road accidents, and that other factors need to be taken into account. In the cas of the M1 motorway and the 70 mile-h speed limit it is suggested that the decrease in death rate is due to an increase in traffic. More reliable results are obtained from before and after studies. Extensive disobedience of speed limits is attributed to motorists lack of confidence in their justification, leading to bad relations between the public and the police. The complete abolition of absolute speed limits is called for.