Speeding Increases Risk of Deadly Crashes
Speeding increases the risk of deadly crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers a crash to be speeding-related if any driver involved in the crash was charged with a speeding-related offense or if a police officer indicates in their accident report that racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the collision. A speeding-related fatality is any death that occurs in a speeding-related crash – including drivers, passengers, or pedestrians.
Speeding is in the top 5 most common causes of car accidents in the United States. According to IIHS, more than 11,000 people lost their lives in speed-related crashes in 2020, representing 29 percent of all crash fatalities. In addition, speeding was a factor in 10 percent of property-damage-only crashes and 13 percent of injury crashes, causing 308,013 recorded injuries.
Speeding Increases Risk of Deadly Accidents
High speeds increase the risk of a crash because it takes longer to stop or slow down. Speeding also makes collisions more deadly because crash energy increases exponentially as speeds go up. When a car is driving slowly, the risk of serious injury is approximately one percent. At 50 mph, the risk of serious injury increases to 52 percent. At 70 mph, the risk of serious injury or fatality is almost inevitable. Since large stretches of highways have a speed limit of 70 mph, it is important to follow the speed limit and observe how drivers are behaving around us when we’re in a high-speed area.
Research has shown that raising speed limits leads to more deaths. Part of the problem is that people often drive faster than the speed limit, and if the limit is raised, they will go even faster. The bottom line is that as speeds go up, so do fatal crashes.
The pandemic contributed to an increase in speeding
A 2022 IIHS study showed that empty roads caused by “stay-at-home” orders in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 made it all too tempting for drivers to speed. Speeding increased substantially during this time and national statistics show that this risky driving behavior stuck around even after traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels. Looking at it in cold hard numbers, the number of speeding-related fatalities in 2020 increased by a shocking 17 percent from 2019, from 9,592 to 11,258. In addition, the proportion of speeding-related fatalities out of the total number of fatalities increased from 26 percent in 2019 to 29 percent in 2020.
Speeding risk factors
Crash stats from NHTSA show that the following groups are more likely to be involved in speeding related crashes:
- Males between the ages of 15-20
- Drivers who lack a valid driver’s license
- Drivers who have blood alcohol levels at 0.08 g/dL or higher
- Motorcyclists
- Drivers not wearing seat belts
Tips for avoiding speeding
Speeding is a choice, which means it’s 100% preventable. Here are some tips to avoid speeding and stay safe on the road:
- Leave enough time to get to where you’re going
- Follow the posted speed limits
- Observe the flow of traffic
- Slow down when weather conditions require it (standing water, heavy rain, snow, ice, etc.)
- Never road race
- Avoid speeding around another vehicle due to road rage
Seek the help of a car accident lawyer
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
