Driving a car is one of the most routine activities in which the consequences of a mistake are especially severe. The influence of speeding has been a subject of researchers’ interest for decades, and thus a significant body of literature was created, demonstrating the dangers of driving too fast or too slowly. Nevertheless, speeding, defined as exceeding posted speed limits, remains one of the most common law violations on roads globally.
Speeding has two major types both of which tend to result in such common accidents as collisions. Simply driving too fast or reaching speed unreasonable for a specific road state or weather conditions has been statistically proven as a significant factor in accident fatality. It is stated that 30% of all registered collisions that lead to death on roads of the United States in 2012 were speed‑related (Gargoum &El-Basyouny, 2016, p. 32). In addition to affecting the likelihood of a crashes’ fatality rate, speeding can influence the severity of outcomes and the probability of a crash overall. Research shows that median speed is one of the major contributors to accident frequency, and the link between higher speed and growth of collision numbers was also established (Gargoum &El-Basyouny, 2016).
Rushing on the road is not justified by potentially saved minutes, as its risks outweigh inestimably all the potential benefits that a speeding driver may envision.
Ensuring road traffic safety is an essential issue that entails several principles, one of which is speed regulation. Although several specificities relating to speed limitations and crash consequences are not agreed upon in scholarly circles, the connection between speeding, higher accident frequency, the gravity of consequences, and mortality is supported by research data. Therefore, limiting speed is an essential element for more secure road trips.
Reference
Gargoum, S. A., & El-Basyouny, K. (2016). Exploring the association between speed and safety: A path analysis approach. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 93, 32–40.