Speed is a Factor in Accidents
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report analyzing common factors in accidents. They looked at motor vehicle crashes as well as accidents involving a pedestrian or bicyclist.
The laws of physics don’t bend- as speed increases, the likelihood of injuries goes up, and the injuries become more severe – often fatal.
The results are sobering – the data doesn’t lie. From 2005 to 2014, nearly the same number of people were killed in crashes where speeding was a primary factor as were killed by drunk drivers: over 112,500 fatalities due to someone driving too fast. That’s more than 10,000 people killed each year.
They found that speed enforcement can reduce crashes, whether it’s from a law enforcement officer issuing citations, or automated systems that capture an image of the speeding vehicle and send the ticket to the owner. Drivers start making a conscious decision to stay aware of the posted limits and choose to drive slower.
Robert Sumwalt, Acting Chairman of the NTSB, said, “In a crash that’s speeding related, you’re more likely to be injured, your injuries are more likely to be severe, and you’re more likely to die. And that’s true whether you’re the speeding driver, another driver, a passenger, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian.”
Read more here:
https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2017-DCA15SS002.aspx