Background Speeding contributed to over one hundred thousand road crash fatalities in India in 2022. To address the issue, it is essential to explore the causal factors behind road crash fatalities due to speeding and analyse the nature of speeding behaviour among different types of users.

Objective This study explores the relationship between fatalities and speeding amongst heterogeneous road users across various types of roads

Methods This study presents the findings from five years (2018 - 2022) of Forensic Crash Investigations (FCI) across India and a speed profile study across different highways in the State of Uttar Pradesh conducted in 2023.

The FCI explores the critical relationship between speeding and the probability of fatal injuries. The speed profile study augments the findings by analysing the speeding patterns of 10580 vehicles across five different vehicle categories, namely, two-wheelers, autorickshaws, cars, trucks, and buses, on various types of roads such as Expressways, National Highways, State Highways, and Major district roads.

Results The results of the FCI demonstrate that in any type of collision, the probability of fatal injuries is directly proportional to the speed of the vehicles. Moreover, at a specific speed, the probability of fatal injuries is higher in a head-on collision than in any other type of collision. Furthermore, the speed profile study results reveal that approximately 30% of the vehicles travelling on high-speed corridors, such as Expressways and National Highways, tend to exceed the posted speed limit. This speeding pattern is particularly prevalent in straight sections across all vehicle categories. The findings also highlight that approximately 49% of the cars are involved in over speeding across all road types.

Conclusion This study, employing a multi-faceted approach that includes data analysis, surveys, and statistical modelling, contributes significantly to the broader discourse on understanding speeding behaviour and its correlation with fatal injuries. The findings are expected to enhance the understanding of the factors influencing speeding behaviour and lay the foundation for evidence-based policymaking to create effective countermeasures to restrict over speeding and minimise the likelihood of fatal injuries in the event of a crash due to over speeding.