We all want to get where we’re going as quickly as possible. When you’re running late, it’s tempting to want to drive faster and save time. But it’s important to understand that the speed limit is not just an arbitrary number; it’s meant to keep you and others safe.
What Is Speeding?
Speeding is defined as exceeding the legal speed limit, driving too fast for road or weather conditions, or racing.
Who Speeds and Why?
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, young male drivers are more likely to speed. The good news is that the tendency to speed decreases the older a person gets.
People drive over the legal speed limit because they think it will get them to their destination faster, but the reality is that speeding saves very little time, and the risk of getting in an accident caused by speeding is not worth the time saved.
How Dangerous Is Speeding?
Speeding may seem relatively harmless, but it is actually a major cause of collisions. For the past 20 years, speeding has been a factor in 30% of all traffic fatalities in the United States, killing thousands of people each year.
Why is speeding dangerous? Speeding gives a driver less time to react. A car going faster than the speed limit will cover more distance in a shorter period of time, meaning the car will have a shorter amount of time to stop. A speeding vehicle is also less maneuverable. At higher speeds a driver can lose control of a vehicle if they swerve to avoid having an accident.
Speeding is also dangerous because the faster a vehicle is is moving, the more force it will have if it hits something. For every 10 miles per hour faster a vehicle travels, the likelihood of getting in a fatal accident doubles.
Speeding and Pedestrians
Speeding is also a major cause of pedestrian fatalities. Speeding makes it harder to see pedestrians, and the faster a car is going the more damage it can do. According to AAA, “a pedestrian struck by a person driving 30 mph is 75% more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a pedestrian hit at 20 mph.”
What If I Get a Speeding Ticket?
Now that you know all the reasons not to speed, we hope you’ll always obey the speed limit and never experience getting pulled over for driving too fast. But if you ever do get a speeding ticket, it’s always a good idea to take a defensive driving course. You’ll clear your driving record while learning how to avoid accidents and become a safer driver. And it may even save you money on your insurance.
Don’t get caught speeding! It’s not worth the risk to save a few minutes of travel time. Reduce your speed and your stress by leaving a few minutes earlier and driving defensively.
Take a Defensive Driving Course Today
Updated 2/20/24
