Nearly a third of all fatal car accidents involve excessive speed. There are often other factors in play, like driver distraction, but speed is certainly one of the main contributing factors that crash scene investigators can identify. This is why speed limits are in place, in an effort to keep people safe if they will just adhere to the limit.
In some cases, this excessive speed directly causes the accident. For instance, a teenage driver may be speeding down a straight road when they suddenly reach a sharp curve, and they can’t reduce their speed enough to maintain control of the vehicle. This sends them over the centerline and into an oncoming car.
Additionally, reaction times go down when speed goes up. So even if a driver recognizes a hazard ahead of them, they may not be able to stop in time if they are already speeding. They only have a split second to react before a rear-end collision, for instance.
More severe injuries
Additionally, there’s a link between the severity of the injuries from the accident and the speed at which it took place. Generally speaking, the faster a vehicle is traveling at the time of impact, the more likely that the injuries suffered by occupants will be serious or even fatal in nature. This is part of the reason why there are higher fatal accident rates on rural roads—just because they tend to have higher speed limits and most of these crashes take place at a greater rate of speed than they would in urban areas.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured by a negligent driver? If so, you may be able to seek financial compensation for medical bills and much more.
