One Third of Fatal Car Accidents Are Caused by Speeding

Speeding is the third largest contributing factor to traffic accidents. Drivers speed for all sorts of reasons such as:

• They’re in a hurry.
• They’re inattentive to their driving.
• They don’t take traffic laws seriously; they don’t think the laws apply to them.
• They don’t view their driving behavior as dangerous.
• They don’t expect to get caught.
• Some or all of the above.

Here’s the reality.  In the United States over 13,000 people die each year due to speeding. In work zone accidents, speeding is a factor in 27% of fatal crashes. People speed through school zones causing the deaths of children who are simply trying to cross the street. And speeding doesn’t actually save anyone any money.  Getting to a location faster, doesn’t equal more money, because the harm overwhelms the benefit.

Most Speed Fatalities Are Not On Major Roads

People assume, because the speeds are higher are major highways like the Pennsylvania turnpike, that most speeding fatalities are on such roads. But they aren’t. As of 2006, 47% of fatal accidents involving speed were on roads with a speed limit of 50 miles per hour or less.  Over 20% were on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less.

Don’t Speed

It is as simple as this. Don’t speed. Your chances of being involved a car accident or causing a fatality are substantially increased by speeding. Speeding is a habit and therefore requires conscious effort to change. Try to be more aware of your speed, and slow down.