Speeding is one of the most common criminal offenses. Although everyone knows it’s illegal to exceed the posted speed limit, most people do it at least a couple of times every week.
Drivers often think of speeding as a non-issue. Some people even grumble about the enforcement of speed limits by police officers, viewing it as an effort to make money rather than to keep the public safe.
However, while most people who drive too fast to get where they want to go without issue, speeding is one of the country’s leading causes of fatal crashes. Like drunk driving, people often do it without consequences, which does not make it a safe driving habit.
How big of a concern is speeding?
According to federal traffic statistics, driving too fast is one of the top causes of fatal crashes in the United States. According to an analysis of 2019 crash data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 26% of all deadly collisions involve at least one vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit or driving far too fast for road conditions. The government agency reported at least 9,478 deaths related to speeding that same year.
Higher speeds mean that people will travel farther before they can react. Those higher speeds also mean that collisions will have more force and likely cause more damage to a vehicle and injury to its occupants.
Both misconduct and negligence while driving can give rise to a personal injury or a wrongful death claim after a car crash. Realizing that speeding could be a major contributing factor to a crash can inspire you to pursue justice.