It’s not uncommon for a lot of drivers to ignore speed limits, especially in familiar areas. They may feel comfortable going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit on the road they take to work, for example – or they may glide through their own neighborhood a little faster than the posted limit.
Unfortunately, the cavalier attitude that many drivers take toward speed limits can be a massive safety issue.
Higher speeds increase the danger
What these drivers may not have thought through is why speed limits have been established in the first place. There are two main reasons behind speeds being restricted on roads:
1. The ability to react: Faster speeds mean less time to decide on a response to something up ahead and longer stopping distances if braking is required. So higher speeds make crashes more likely.
2. The force carried into a collision: The force of a crash depends not just on the mass of the vehicle — a truck will carry more force than a family car – but also on the speed the vehicle(s) are traveling at. So a driver who hits someone at 50 mph will do so with more force than if they hit them while doing 20 mph. Put simply, slowing down can save lives, which is why you see lower limits in urban areas, and even lower ones outside schools.
As you can see, speed limits are there for good reason, and whether a driver agrees with them or not, they are obligated to abide by them. Anyone injured by a speeding driver may want legal guidance as to how best to highlight that excess speed to strengthen their claim for compensation.
