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About Speed
 Speeding
Statistics
Survival
Strategies
Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors
contributing to traffic crashes. The economic cost
to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated
by NHTSA to be $40.4 billion per year. In 2002,
speeding was a contributing factor in 31% of all
fatal crashes, and 13,713 lives were lost in speeding-related
crashes.
Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to
steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway,
extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle,
and increases the distance a vehicle travels while
the driver reacts to a dangerous situation. Despite
that, most drivers believe speeding is OK. In a
national Drive for Life poll conducted last year
by Mason-Dixon, 71% of drivers – even seniors – said
they speed and most believe it’s OK to routinely
exceed the speed limit by 5 mph. One in three men
surveyed believe it’s OK to exceed the speed
limit by 10 mph.
Most crashes (57%) occur at 40 mph or less, but
most fatal crashes occur at top speeds. More than
half of fatal crashes in 2002 occurred on roads
with posted speed limits of 55 mph or more. But
these roads are not necessarily in urban areas.
In fact, 42% of all motor vehicle fatalities occurred
on rural roads with cars traveling at 55 mph or
greater.
Speeding also leads to excessive lane changes,
which contribute to crashes. More than 43% of all
motor vehicle crashes reported in 2001 involved
a lane change or road departure. The U.S. Department
of Transportation reports 55% of fatal accidents
are caused by unintended lane departure, including
veering off the road.
But slower speeds alone
don’t guarantee
safety especially in congested, urban areas. Of
slow-speed crashes (30 mph or less) that resulted
in a fatality, 75% occurred in urban settings.
Speeding statistics
- The 2001 costs of speeding-related
crashes were estimated to be $40.4 billion — $76,865
per minute or $1,281 per second.
- At least eight in 10 younger drivers report
speeding at least monthly on each road type.
- Six in 10 drivers age 65 or older report speeding
on all road types. (NHTSA, NCSA Traffic Safety
Facts, 2002)
Survival strategies
- Drive the speed limit. Speeding
limits your ability to steer safely around curves
or objects in the road and extends the distance
needed to stop.
- Don’t
let the car behind you pressure you to
speed . let them pass
you.
- Slow down even
below the speed limit in rainy, icy or snowy
weatheror on a road that is under construction.
- Don’t
tailgate. Allow
three seconds or more between the time when the
car in front of you passes a fixed object and
when you pass it.
- Generally keep pace with the flow
of traffic. Driving much slower than
the cars around you also can increase the chances
of a collision.
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