What You Should Know About Car Accidents Caused by Speeding        

Driving is an American pastime. It’s deeply ingrained in the culture ever since Ford perfected his assembly line. Before that, there was no American ideal of the wind in your heart. The wonderment of exploration and heading west to find your dreams wasn’t a thing. We created that and it’s something to be proud of. But in the midst of all of the marketing and romance is a dark underbelly. Car accidents account for a disproportionate amount of deaths. We’ve all seen a bad crash on the highway. We see multiple a week. We see it on the news. A lot of them are because of speeding. Here we’ll look at the numbers and implications of car accidents caused by speeding as well as what you can do about it in your personal life. 

Laws and Numbers 

Speeding laws change from place to place. When you’re in Pennsylvania, you’re going to see different signs than you would in Texas. But there is a limit. There are not many places or highways in the United States that have an “infinite” speed limit. According to Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A. if you’re going 90 miles per hour, you’re pretty much breaking the law. Beyond 90 is where bad things can happen. People can lose control at 35 mph, how much more for three times that. Speeding accounts for more than 20% of fatal car accidents. It’s a massive chunk just behind checking your phone. The recklessness associated with speeding almost always translates to an increased risk to others. 

Demographic 

When you look at the numbers, guess who was most at fault? It’s the 15 to 24-year-olds that made up the majority of speeding accidents. That is, of course, tied into the aggression and testosterone-fueled demeanor of males at that age. That group makes up the majority of accidents across the board. This is, again, not much of a surprise. There is a level of fearlessness that comes with being at that age. There is a feeling and a rush that that age group tends to seek. But it’s not just the devil-may-care attitude of that age group. If you look at it, most of these accidents happen in muddy and dirty conditions. This indicates a lack of experience as well. It’s this multifactorial set of incidents that precipitate an accident. 

Alcohol

The other dark coincidence you see in speeding accidents is the involvement of alcohol. A whopping 42% of those that were involved in a speeding accident over the age of 21 blew above the legal alcohol limit. That’s alarming. In the day and age of Uber and Lyft, that shouldn’t even be a thing. But there’s impaired inhibition with alcohol. There are bad decisions and ego in alcohol. So it seems fitting that they coincide.

Speeding kills. It’s up to every individual that gets behind the wheel to consciously keep people around them safe. The world is fraught with enough dangers. We don’t need anymore. So when it comes to speed, as much as possible, stick to the limit. If not for the legal implications, for the safety of the people around.