Speed as a key factor in traffic accidents

Inappropriate speed has long been one of the most critical factors influencing road safety and the severity of collision consequences. The aim of this paper was to define traffic accidents caused by excessive speed, which significantly contributes to their frequency and severity. It focused on the reasons why speed is so risky, and on possible measures to reduce accident rates, including effective strategies for increasing road safety. To achieve these objectives, secondary data analysis from the databases of the Police of the Czech Republic and the Transport Research Centre was used, which was subsequently processed using linear regression analysis for trend modeling and Pearson's chi-square test for verifying statistical hypotheses. The research results showed that although the absolute number of accidents is decreasing slowly, the linear model confirmed a statistically significant downward trend in the number of fatalities, and the demographic analysis identified that young drivers exhibit a more than double tendency toward speed-related accidents compared to seniors. The main limitation of the research lies in the reliance on police statistics, which may not capture latent accident rates; therefore, the use of objective data from vehicle telematics systems is suggested for future studies.