The faster a car is going when it hits something, the more damage that is done to that car, other cars, and passengers. As the saying goes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But even though everyone should know of this greater danger, speed was a common factor in more than 25% of traffic deaths in Louisiana in 2013.
Many officials believe that speed is a factor in even more wrecks than the data shows. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a wreck is considered speed-related if a driver was cited with speeding or a police officer indicated that it contributed to the wreck. A citation is a definite indication of speeding, but the opinion of an officer is different. There is no way of knowing if officers have failed to recognize speed as a factor.
One question about the relationship between speed and traffic deaths is whether speed causes more crashes or whether it just means that the risk of death is higher. A 2004 report of the Federal Highway Administration found that—all other things being equal—higher speeds increase crashes.
Who drives fast? The NHTSA data for 2013 indicates that age and sex are key indicators. Men are more likely to drive fast than women. And younger people are more likely to drive faster than older ones.
NHTSA data shows that in all age categories, more male speeders were involved in fatal crashes than females. Not surprisingly, younger male drivers were even more likely to speed than older ones.
Most of us probably suspect that senior citizens don’t usually drive with a “lead foot.” A 2011 survey found that 50% of drivers between ages 15 and 20 were considered to be speeders as opposed to persons over 65 years of age.
This kind of information is important for people to know. It allows drivers to see the risk of injury and death to themselves and to others by engaging in the risky behavior of speeding. As the national data shows, not only does wrecking at a high speed cause more deaths, driving at a high speed causes more wrecks.
If you or a family member have been injured in an accident with someone who was speeding, you may be entitled to money damages. We know the laws applicable to car accidents inside and out. We will work to get you a fair result. For a free evaluation, contact the experienced lawyers at Wright Pichon & Gray.