Someone is late for a doctor’s appointment or to pick up his or her child from school. This person gets behind the wheel and drives on a street where the speed limit is 45 miles an hour. The driver wants to go faster than that and rationalizes the behavior. Going 50 or 55 miles an hour there won’t hurt anybody, will it?
Maybe the driver passes a couple of vehicles where there is no passing allowed. They are then emboldened to step even harder on the gas pedal, hitting 60 miles an hour. Traveling so fast, there is no way this vehicle can avoid slamming into another vehicle driven by a person who is obeying the speed limit. Unfortunately, that other driver could easily be you.
Speeding does not occur on an isolated or occasional basis. In fact, the number of fatal accidents caused by speeding drivers in this country is sobering. Studies have indicated that in over one-quarter of fatal crashes, speed was the reason. Speed is a factor, although perhaps not the primary one, in even more accidents.
Why speeding is so dangerous
- When a vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed, it takes more time to come to a stop. The driver therefore has less time to avoid hitting another vehicle, or an animal or person crossing the street.
- Speed makes it more likely that a driver will lose control of his or her vehicle.
- Road conditions increase the danger caused by speeding. Wet or icy pavement, for example, enhances the possibility that a driver who is speeding will cause a collision.
- The faster a vehicle is traveling, the greater damage it can inflict on other vehicles and their drivers and occupants.
Speeding vehicles pose a potentially lethal threat to other drivers and their passengers. If you were injured by a speeding driver in Arizona, you may want to look into your legal options for holding them accountable.