What Are the Dangers of Speeding?

Speeding-related accidents have claimed so many lives in the country. When someone drives over the appropriate speed limit, the chances of severe injury or fatality increase dramatically. In fact, 80% of victims will die from a 40-mph impact, showing how speed can have devastating consequences. Read on to learn more about the dangers of speeding so you can protect yourself and others on the road.

Why Do People Speed?

People speed for different reasons, including:

• Impatience in traffic: Some drivers get frustrated when driving through heavy traffic and tend to change lanes, speed between slow-moving cars, or express road rage to other drivers. This is risky as it can result in road accidents.
• Running Late: Some people speed up to try and make up for the lost time when running late. When a driver is worrying about being late, they can easily get distracted. This is because they think about getting to their destination instead of focusing on the road.
• Thrill-Seeking and Risk-Taking Behavior: Other drivers want to feel the adrenaline rush that comes with speeding. This is especially common among young drivers who feel powerful and in control when driving at high speeds. Young people might also increase their speed to impress friends and peers.
• Driving under the influence: Drivers under the influence of alcohol or other drugs are more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as speeding.

Why Is Speeding Dangerous?

A vehicle traveling at high speed is likely to be in a greasy road accident as compared to one traveling within the required speed limit. Here’s why:

Speeding Affects Your Response Time

Your response time is the time it takes for you to identify an object or a pedestrian on the road and respond by braking. The higher your speed, the longer it will take for you to come to a complete stop. Let’s say you’re driving at 40 mph, and a hazard appears 200 feet ahead. In this case, you have a few extra seconds to process the danger and apply the brakes. But if you were moving at 80mph, you would have less time to process the hazard since you’re covering twice the distance per second.

To be safe, you should follow the two-second rule. This means keeping a two-second time gap between you and the vehicle ahead. You should increase the distance when driving at night, in poor weather, or heavy traffic.

Increases Stopping Distance

It takes longer for a car to stop when it travels at a high speed than when it travels at a low speed. Stopping distance includes the thinking distance (the distance a vehicle travels from the moment the driver notices the hazard to when they apply the brakes) and the braking distance (the distance a vehicle travels after the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.)

Let’s say two drivers, Driver A, going at a speed of 40 mph, and Driver B, at 80 mph, spot an obstacle 200 feet ahead and take 1.5 seconds to react before hitting the brakes.

• Driver A (40 mph)
  • Speed: 40 mph = 58.7 feet per second
  • Distance traveled during reaction time: 58.7 × 1.5 = 88 feet.
• Driver B (80 mph)
  • Speed: 80 mph = 117.5 feet per second
  • Distance traveled during reaction time: 117.5 × 1.5 = 176 feet.

The car moving at 40 mph will cover 88 feet before the driver hits the brakes. That means they have 122 feet to stop, enough to avoid a collision. On the other hand, a vehicle traveling at 80 mph has to travel 176 feet before the driver hits the brakes, leaving it with only 24 feet to stop. That means they’re more likely to hit the object.

When traveling on faster roads like highways, ensure you leave as much distance as possible between you and other vehicles. This will give you enough time to react in case of an emergency.

Increases the Probability of Rollover Accidents

Vehicles are unlikely to roll over when they collide at low speeds. However, there is a high probability of a rollover when they collide at high speeds (even if one vehicle is stationary and gets struck by a high-speed vehicle.)

The logic behind this is pretty simple – keeping a vehicle stable at a high speed is hard. The probability of rollover is even higher when a vehicle rounds a curve at a high speed. Large commercial trucks, SUVs, and pickups are also more likely to roll over because they have a higher center of gravity and are less stable.

Increased Risk to Pedestrians and Cyclists

Speeding doesn’t just put the life of the driver at risk; it also endangers pedestrians and cyclists. When a vehicle travels at a high speed, it’s hard for the driver to see and react to people riding bikes or crossing the street. This can easily result in deadly accidents since pedestrians and cyclists lack the physical protection that motor vehicle occupants have.

Speeding Causes More Serious Crashes and Injuries

A vehicle moving at a high speed is more likely to be in a fatal crash than another at a low speed. That’s because the force of impact is greater at high speeds. So, when a speeding vehicle collides with another car, pedestrian, or object, it can lead to life-threatening injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and internal bleeding.

Reduces the Effectiveness of Safety Features

Vehicles have safety features like seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock brakes to protect the occupants at normal driving speeds. However, these safety features become ineffective at higher speeds, making the crashes more severe. For instance, airbags are meant to cushion passengers against impact, preventing serious head and chest injuries. But at high speeds, the force of the crash can overwhelm them.

Slow Down: Your Life Is Worth More Than a Few Minutes

As a driver, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself safe on the road. Speeding can save you a few minutes, but it’s not worth the risk since many people have lost their lives to speed-related accidents. So, the next time you’re tempted to push the gas pedal, think about your life and that of other road users.