Samenvatting
The introduction of general speed limits resulted in a radical drop in road fatalities. The speed limits cut off possibilities to use road and vehicle improvements for faster driving and thus they started a favorable development in road safety. This paper first considers the change from skill models to motivational models for driver behavior; secondly it shows how the speed limits really changed the traffic safety trends; thirdly it considers basic mechanisms in driver behavior from the safety point of view; and fourthly it suggests directions for further work in improving road safety.