The Dangers of Speeding
Although the glamour of driving fast has long been depicted by popular films and TV shows, the reality can be tragic and devastating. Perhaps nothing illustrates this fact as much as the death of actor Paul Walker, the star of the wildly popular Fast and the Furious film franchise.
After these movies gained traction — and gave their audiences a shot of adrenaline — many copycat racers caused accidents due to their excessive speed. And Walker himself paid the ultimate price, dying in a car accident that was caused by excessive speed. However, most speeding accidents are not as dramatic as a high-octane Porsche slamming into a tree with a famous actor in the passenger seat. In fact, accidents caused by speeding occur on American streets and highways — every single day.
The Sobering Statistics
The sad reality is that — even with many outreach campaigns across the United States — the frequency of speeding-related car accidents has only increased. In 2022, a whopping 29% of fatal automobile accidents were caused due to speeding. This adds up to over 12,000 deaths a year, which further breaks down to over 33 Americans every day losing their lives due to excessive speeding. With such a preventable cause, it’s understandable that authorities have grown increasingly frustrated with the amount of deadly accidents.
Why Is Speeding So Deadly?
The laws of physics apply to us all, no matter how fun it may be to let loose and speed on a country road. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has continually put out the facts; some may be surprised by how just a tiny increase in speed can cause fatalities to rise. For example, let’s say that a highway increases its speed limit by a mere five miles per hour.
This seemingly small act will then equate to a stunning 8.5% increase in fatalities. When speed limits are raised by the same amount on roads that aren’t highways, the increase is lower but still holds steady at 2.5%.
When you are driving your car faster, the amount of reaction time that you have will lower with each increase in speed. This means that you will have less time to avoid potential crises such as erratic drivers, a deer on the road, or even a loss of control of your own vehicle. Also, when you are moving quickly, remember that there will be more force applied if you do happen to crash. For many reasons, your risk of harm increases exponentially when you make the decision to speed.
Related Factors
When you start to look at speeding fatalities, you will notice some interesting facts. Recent studies have shown, for instance, that a shocking one-third of all motorcycle fatalities involved speeding. It’s also compelling to note that speeding fatalities in cars were far more likely to include a driver who was not buckled in at the time of the crash. When you start to look at the information from this vantage point, it becomes obvious that many drivers should prioritize slowing down and buckling up.
Community Engagement May Be the Key
The threat of speeding tickets or in some states, like Oklahoma, the possibility of jail time for multiple offenses can be powerful motivators not to speed. There are other methods to address the public. Educating drivers on the dangers of speeding can also be effective. Moving forward, community engagement seems to be one of the best strategies for slowing down the sheer number of speeding-related fatalities occurring on American roadways. When drivers make a promise to their community to put safety first, statistics can change for the better.
