With so much attention on the dangers of drunk driving, it may be surprising for Alabama drivers to learn that speeding can be just as dangerous. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, auto accidents involving speeding were responsible for more than 112,500 deaths on the roads of the U.S. between 2005 and 2014.
This is almost equivalent to the number of people who died in alcohol-related car accidents during that same time period. After any auto accident, injury victims have legal rights which must be protected. An experienced Mobile car accident attorney will secure fair compensation for your injuries.
Where Speeding Accidents Are Most Likely to Occur
In order to address the problem of speeding-related accidents, it is important for drivers to be aware of the circumstances that are most likely to result in such accidents. Consumer Affairs reports that speeding-related fatalities are more than three times more likely to occur on local roads than on highways. Because of this, the National Transportation Safety Board is encouraging state, county, municipal, and other local governments to set and enforce stricter speeding laws.
Speeding and speeding-related accidents are also more likely to occur in areas which do not use photo enforcement programs. The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a longitudinal review of studies which measured the efficacy of automated enforcement technology programs. Of twenty-eight studies reviewed, every single one reported a lower number of crashes after implementation of a speed enforcement technology program. Bloomberg reports that such technologies are widely acknowledged to be an effective deterrent to speeding, but that they are currently only used in fourteen states and the District of Columbia. Their efficacy has caused the National Transportation Safety Board to recommend that states remove laws which prohibit the use of such technologies.
What You Can Do To Avoid Speeding-Related Accidents
The reason photo enforcement technologies are so effective is that they hold drivers accountable for their driving behaviors. Until an individual driver accepts personal responsibility for safe driving habits, no amount of enforcement will reduce speeding accidents. Help the drivers in your life stay safe on the roads of Alabama:
- Don’t hesitate to speak up when you are a passenger in a speeding vehicle. While no one likes to be thought of as a “backseat driver,” an awkward conversation could make the difference between life and death.
- Help young drivers learn good driving habits from the start. Begin modelling safe driving for children even before they are old enough to drive. Monitor teens carefully when they first begin driving, and deter them from speeding before it can become a habit. Enforce family driving rules through supervised driving sessions.
- Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination, so you will be less tempted to speed along your route.
- Never engage with aggressive drivers who cut you off, tailgate, or otherwise try to make you speed up. Simply allow the other vehicle plenty of space to move past you.
Together, drivers and passengers can make the roads of Mobile safe for everyone.
