Speeding while driving is dangerous behavior that could increase the chances of your vehicle losing control or rolling over when you go around a curve. A driver who is speeding is also going to have to hit the brakes sooner because the added momentum caused by excessive speed can significantly increase the stopping distance of your car.
Because speeding is extremely risky for drivers, it should come as no surprise that going too fast plays a role in around a third of all car accidents that occur within the United States. Far too many serious injuries and deaths happen in these speeding-related car wrecks, with the NHTSA estimating that about 10,000 people across America die in speeding accidents every single year. These deaths could all be prevented if drivers simply drove the speed limit and traveled at a speed that was safe for conditions. Most drivers know the importance of obeying the speed limit, but unfortunately choose not to go at a safe speed even though they are aware of the risks.
Studies Show Drivers Know of Speeding Dangers
Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a survey on driver attitudes towards speeding. The survey revealed that four out of five drivers said that someone who travels at or below the posted speed limit was less likely to get into a dangerous driving situation or become involved in a car wreck. Almost all motorists (91 percent of responding drivers) also said that obeying the speed limit was something that every driver should do, since the sped limit is the law. Around half, or a total of 48 percent of respondents, wanted something to be done to actually force drivers to obey the rules of the road, expressing a desire for some steps to be taken to reduce the number of speeding motorists on U.S. Roads.
With data like this, it is natural to wonder exactly who is speeding since there is almost universal agreement that it is dangerous and that speed limit laws must be obeyed. The reality, however, is that Boston car accident lawyers know that a lot of drivers aren’t practicing what they preach. The same survey in which most drivers agreed that speeding was bad also revealed that many of those motorists are themselves going too fast.
One out of five drivers responding to the NHTSA survey, for example, said that they routinely tried to get to their destination as quickly as they possibly could. More than 25 percent of motorist surveyed also said that speeding was just something they automatically did every time they drove or said that the enjoyed the feeling that they got when they drove their vehicles quickly.
If these drivers didn’t engage in this high risk behavior, the thousands of speeding-related deaths every year could be significantly reduced. Drivers need to remember that they are not immune from the risks of speeding, no matter how good of a driver they think they are or how confident they are in their ability to travel safely even at high speeds. No one expects that they’ll be the one to cause a speeding-related crash and yet thousands do each year and find themselves either injured or living with the guilt of injuring others.
If you or a loved one was involved in a motor-vehicle accident, contact Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (617) 777-7777 today.
More Blog Entries:
Passengers Have Complaints About High-Risk Driving Behaviors, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 10, 2013