The Connection Between Speeding and Fatal Accidents
Many Alabama drivers are issued speeding tickets every year. This is not just a revenue generator for the municipalities. Roads are designed to handle traffic traveling at a certain limited speed. Exceed the speed, and you are putting your life or the lives of others at risk.
Speeding is the cause of fatalities in about one-third of all car accidents, according to federal statistics.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2021, 12,330 individuals died on our roadways due to speeding. Add to that statistic that slightly more than half (51 percent) of those drivers were not wearing their seat belts.
One-third of those drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were young men ages 15-20.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that even a 5-mile-per-hour increase in the maximum speed limit on any road correlated with an eight percent increase in freeway fatality rate and 3 percent on more minor roads.
In other words, the risk of a fatality doubles for every ten mph of increased speed.
Besides speeding, we know that the other factors that lead to fatal auto accidents are inattention or distracted driving, thanks to smartphones, or driving while tired; the use of drugs, and driving under the influence (DUI); but speeding continues to be a top cause of death on the roadways.
If a speeding Alabama driver has injured you, your experienced Alabama personal injury attorney, J. Allan Brown, understands how to seek compensation from the at-fault driver.
The Dangers of Speeding
Why do people speed?
Most likely, they are late and trying to make up for lost time. We’ve all seen drivers on the road who have a general disregard for others. Aggressive drivers who change lanes quickly, tailgate the vehicle ahead, and generally ignore basic safety on the road all contribute to traffic fatalities.
Often, these drivers don’t think the laws apply to them.
Getting as far away from that driver as fast as possible is advisable.
Why does speeding so often lead to death? Basic vehicle control is made more difficult when traveling at a higher rate of speed than the road is designed for.
Consider:
- There is a greater likelihood the driver will lose control of the vehicle.
- Protection devices such as a seatbelt and passenger compartment are less effective.
- The stopping distance to avert a crash increases when there is speeding.
- The faster a vehicle travels, the greater the potential harm from the crash impact.
- There will be an economic impact following a speed-related crash.
- Fuel consumption increases when the vehicle is speeding.
- Speeding-related accidents cost roughly $40 billion a year.
Your Alabama Personal Injury Attorney
If you suspect the other driver was speeding and that contributed to your auto accident, J. Allan Brown will launch an investigation to determine who was responsible for causing the crash.
The fault for the crash will tip the scales toward the driver who was speeding; however, if you, too, were driving over the speed limit, you may lose your ability to receive compensation.
Alabama follows the doctrine of contributory negligence. Anyone who contributed even as little as one percent to the accident by speeding will be seen as contributing to the injuries or fatalities. It is a tough challenge to overcome when the insurance company for the other side convinces the court you share in the fault.
That is another good reason not to speed.
Once we determine that you did not contribute to the accident by speeding, Attorney J. Allan Brown will advocate that the other party owed you a duty of care to follow the rules of the road, that that driver breached his duty, and that is what caused your injuries or a fatality.
Attorney J. Allan Brown has helped those injured by the negligence of others to receive compensation, including pain and suffering, medical losses, and the cost of medical care, both now and in the future.
Contact the Mobile Law Office of J. Allan Brown, L.L.C. for a complimentary consultation at (251) 473-6691 so he can review the facts of your case.
Sources:
Testimonials
Frequently
