Speed limits on roads in Georgia and throughout the U.S. seek to make the roadways safer for all users. When individual drivers exceed the posted limits they endanger themselves, their passengers and other people on the roads.
Speeding leads to more fatalities and more serious accidents, particularly in 2020 and 2021.
Speeding creates unsafe conditions
The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration states that speeding played a role in about one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities in the past two decades. Sometimes speeding involves staying under the posted speed limits but going too fast for conditions that include snow, ice, rain and fog.
A person traveling at high rates of speed in a motor vehicle has reduced control of the auto and less time to react. Several additional negative consequences result from high speeds:
- Reduced ability of safety features to protect life and limb
- Increased stopping distances upon perceiving a hazard
- Increased degree of crash severity and property damage
- Increased fuel consumption and burning of fossil fuels
- Decreased ability of road design to help drivers stay safe
Speeding has many causes
At its core, speeding originates from an aggressive mindset on the roads. As society changes, many cumulative factors play a role in increasing speeding. Higher levels of traffic in certain areas lead to driver frustration to avoid traffic congestion. People running late for appointments decide to travel faster to work or other locations.
Some drivers enjoy the anonymity of driving and feel entitled to engage in reckless driving behaviors. In the end, speeding puts many people at risk for serious motor vehicle accidents.