In 2021 alone, speeding killed 12,330 people on our roads.
We all understand the frustrations of modern life and juggling chaotic schedules, but speed limits are put in place to protect all users on our roads.
For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities.
Speed also affects your safety even when you are driving at the speed limit but too fast for road conditions, such as during bad weather, when a road is under repair, or in an area at night that isn’t well lit.
When people speed not only are they endangering their own life, but they are also endangering the lives of all people on the road around them.
Speeding is more than just breaking the law, it carries the following consequences:
Greater potential for losing vehicle control;
Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment;
Increased stopping distance after a driver perceives danger;
Increased degree of crash severity; Increased fuel consumption/cost.
Speeding is considered a type of aggressive behavior.
Several factors do contribute to an overall rise in aggressive driving.
Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to aggressive driving.
Some people are caught driving aggressively because they have too much to do and are “running late” for work, school, meetings, lessons, sports games or various other appointments.
A motor vehicle insulates the driver from the outside world. Shielded from the outside world, a driver can develop a sense of detachment, as if an observer of their surroundings, rather than a participant.
Most motorists rarely drive, aggressively, and some never do.
For others, the episodes of aggressive driving can be frequent, and for a small number of motorists it is their usual driving behavior.
Occasional episodes of aggressive driving – such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly – might occur in response to specific situations on our roads, like when the driver is running late.
If it seems like there are more cases of rude and outrageous behavior on the roads today than in the past, the observation is correct.
Speeding behavior and aggressive drivers do not only affect the speeder – it can also impact other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, simply move over and let them go.
Give speeding drivers plenty of space as these drivers may lose control of their vehicles more easily.
If a speeding driver is tailgating you are trying to engage in aggressive behavior, use your best judgement to safely steer your vehicle out of their way.
As always, if you believe a driver is following you or harassing you – call the police.
The NHTSA delivers a speed management program course to state and local police.
NHTSA also provides training to law enforcement officers on the use of speed-measuring devices in order to identify and take enforcement action against speeding drivers.
Finally, the NHTSA works with many law enforcement partners to heighten awareness of the speeding problem plaguing the United States.
