Speeding Is The Leading Factor In Traffic Accidents

This Blog was brought to you by the San Antonio Traffic Ticket Attorney Gordon Slade 210-820-3033

In the United States, speeding is a leading factor in traffic accidents. The NHTSA estimates that the yearly economic consequence of these accidents is roughly $40.4 billion. On today´s road, speeding drivers are almost unavoidable. Every year, speeding significantly affects the total percentage of fatal accidents. Approximately 30 percent of all fatal crashes are the result of someone speeding. An estimated 15,000 lives are lost in speeding-related crashes each year.

At our Law Office, our attorneys work diligently to prove a speeding driver´s negligence. It is important to us that our clients receive the maximum reward possible under the law. The law requires that all motorists drive at a reasonable or prudent speed. Any speed over the posted speed limit is evidence of unreasonable driving. For Americans, driving is an expensive endeavor. Not only do citizens pay out of pocket for personal expenses such as gas and vehicle repairs, but they also pay a hefty amount yearly due to motor vehicle accidents. Generally speaking, car crashes increase society´s expenses by an estimated $7,300 per second. The economic cost of crashes every year is estimated to be an astronomical $230 billion. In one year alone, the portion resulting from speeding was estimated to be $40.4 billion — $76,865 per minute or $1,281 per second.

The effects of speeding on a person´s vehicle are immediately noticeable. While speeding, a person reduces the ability to safely steer the vehicle in the proper direction, considerably lengthens the amount of time it takes to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, and decreases the amount of time a driver has to react to the ever-changing dynamics of the road. Because of these factors, the act of speeding is typically viewed as negligent. This means that when a driver is speeding, he or she is not acting reasonably under the circumstances. Unfortunately, speeding also seems to go hand in hand with drinking and driving. Every year, roughly 25 percent of speeding drivers under 21 years old who are involved in fatal crashes are also intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 (grams per deciliter [g/dl]) or greater. This figure contrasts the mere 11 percent of non-speeding drivers under age 21 intoxicated in fatal crashes. For slightly older drivers, those between 21 and 24 years of age, who are involved in fatal crashes, 50 percent of those who are speeding at the time of the accident are also intoxicated. This is compared with only 25 percent of intoxicated drivers but not speeding. The statistics indicate that alcohol and speeding often create a deadly combination. Even though speeding is one of the leading causes of car accidents in the U.S., the proportion of speeding-related accidents to all other accidents is not the same across all age groups.

Regarding fatal accidents, young males are the most likely to be speeding at the time of the accident. Statistics show that 38 percent of males ages 15 to 20 that were involved in a fatal accident were speeding at the time the accident occurred. In general, across the rest of the population, as a driver´s age increases, the likelihood that they are speeding at the time of an accident decreases. In addition to age, the type of vehicle a person drives also tends to influence the likelihood that a person is speeding when involved in an accident. In one year alone, 34 percent of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passenger car drivers, 18 percent for light-truck drivers, and 7 percent for large-truck drivers. The proportion of drivers not using seat belts also increases in those that speed. Every year, roughly 50 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers under 21 years old involved in fatal crashes wear safety belts at the time of the crash. This statistic contrasts the 67 percent of drivers in the same age group, restrained, who are not speeding. The above is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a specific case and the relevant law.