Everyone likes to think they are a safe driver when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. However, despite our attempts to be safe drivers, nearly everyone breaks the law on a daily basis. Speeding is the most common traffic law that drivers break and it happens to be one of the most deadly, as well.Goldstein Hayes & Lina are experienced personal attorneys that can help if you have been involved in an automobile accident. Contact them today.
Speeding: Everybody Does It
Speeding is one of the most common causes of both fatal crashes and crashes in general. It is the third leading contributor in traffic crashes, behind only distracted driving and impaired driving. In 2012, speeding was involved in 10,219 of the 33,561 total traffic fatalities, a 2% increase from the 10,001 in 2011. Speeding occurs for a variety of reasons, but some of the most common include:
Drivers in a rush
Drivers not paying attention to their driving
Drivers do not think laws apply to them
Drivers do not believe it is dangerous
Drivers do not think they will get caught
Young People the Most at Risk
For drivers involved in fatal crashes, young males are the most at risk of being involved in a speeding related accident. The proportion of speed-related crashes decreases as the driver’s age increases. In 2012, 24% of female drivers aged 15-19, and 19% aged 21-24 who were involved in a fatal crash were speeding. For males, those numbers rise to 37% for both age groups. Alcohol can also play a large part in speeding incidents, as drivers who are under the influence are more likely to speed. In 2012, 42% of speeding drivers had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .08 or higher in fatal crashes, compared to only 16% of non-speeding drivers involved in a fatal crash.
The Three-Second Rule
Most crashes occur in the span of three seconds. In that time, a driver sees a hazard, identifies it as dangerous, scans his or her memory to decide how to act, and then acts to avoid the hazard. Three seconds is typically all the time you have to respond to something that happens unexpectedly around you - a car braking abruptly in front of you, a truck spraying your windshield with rain or slush, a child on a bike crossing your path. Speeding both increases the distance that is required to avoid a collision, as it takes more distance for a car to stop at a higher speed, and it also reduces the amount of time a driver needs to avoid the collision. In addition to both of these factors, speeding simply increases the likelihood that any type of crash will result in an injury.
Contact Goldstein Hayes & Lina, P.C.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to an automobile accident or traffic incident, the experienced personal attorneys at Goldstein Hayes & Lina, P.C. are here to help you with your case. Contact us today for a free consultation.