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The Connection Between Speeding and Auto Accidents: Why It’s So Dangerous

Cars are dangerous pieces of machinery, especially when they’re being driven recklessly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety, around 29% of all road accidents in the US were caused by speeding in 2021 and the total fatality count was 12,330. When a driver decides to speed, their chances of dying or being involved in a collision are high.

The Science Behind Speeding

The science behind speeding involved Newton’s law, kinetic energy, centrifugal force, velocity, and vehicle mass – but we’re not going to get into all that right now. The conclusion of extensive scientific research has found that for every 10mph of speed, there are double the chances of being involved in a crash. When speeders hit 80mph, they are four times more likely to cause a deadly crash.

Why do People Speed?

Every driver knows that speeding causes collisions, but that doesn’t stop them from putting their own and other peoples’ lives on the line. There are many motivations for people speeding including:

Passenger peer pressure
Trying to arrive sooner
Bad habits and autopilot
Personality traits like thrill-seeking

Speeding and Consequences

Speeding can cause devastating road collisions involving either one or multiple cars. The severity of the crash will depend on the type of vehicles involved. For example, if a truck is speeding and crashes into the back of a car, there’s a good chance the driver of the car will die.

The liable party will likely have to pay fines and may face criminal charges depending on the severity. Speeding isn’t automatically classified as criminal; it typically counts as a civil infraction. However, in more severe cases, like when serious bodily injury or death is caused, speeding can be bumped up to a felony charge.

What to Do If You’re Struck by a Speeding Driver

Being struck by a speeding driver isn’t something you think about when you set out on a journey, but this doesn’t stop it from happening. If you’ve been in a collision involving a speeder, you need to take action immediately.

While you’re on the scene, you have to call the police and wait for them to arrive. They will give you an incident number to be used when claiming compensation. When you’re waiting for the police to arrive, you should spend time collecting evidence by taking photos and talking to witnesses.

If you’re unable to do this because of injuries, you will need to collect the information from the police when you’re discharged from the hospital. Even if you’re not injured, it’s essential that you have a medical check and keep hold of the record.

Your next step will be claiming on your insurance to recoup financial losses and any other damages. To ensure you get what you’re owed, you should hire an expert auto accident lawyer.

Speeding can be devastating for perpetrators and other road users. If you’re involved in a collision with a speeding driver, get in touch with our legal experts. Pardy & Rodriguez can be found at: