4701 Oleander Drive, Suite A
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
4701 Oleander Drive, Suite A
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Drivers in South Carolina usually acknowledge that things like drunk driving, looking at a cell phone behind the wheel and driving while drowsy are all dangerous. However, with a social emphasis on getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible, do people feel the same way about speeding? According to research, they do not.
Speeding is a serious problem that few people are taking seriously. This means that even though you are a safe driver who adheres to the posted speed limit, negligent drivers are still putting you at risk.
Speeding is deadly
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, over 112,500 people died in speed-related crashes over a nine-year period. Even when victims survive, crashes involving high rates of speed drastically increase the severity of injuries. Speeding drivers are also more likely to cause an accident than those who follow the speed limit.
The reality of these numbers may make more sense when compared with alcohol-related driving fatalities. During the same nine-year period of the NTSB’s study, speed-related fatalities accounted for one-third of all of the documented traffic fatalities. Roughly the same number of people died in drunk driving collisions.
Raising speed limits makes things worse
Some people argue that states should raise speed limits to match the observed flow of traffic. That is, if the speed limit is 70 miles per hour, but most of the drivers are traveling at 80 mph or higher, then they believe the legal speed limit should go up to 80 mph. They believe that this will encourage all drivers to travel at the higher speed and make everyone safer.
Unfortunately, this is does not work as most people hope. When speed limits go up, drivers who were already exceeding the past speed limit begin to drive even faster. As such, on an interstate where the speed limit is 80 mph, it might be easy to find drivers traveling at speeds upwards of 90 mph.
What are some solutions?
As a safe driver, you already drive safely and adhere to the speed limit, but what about other drivers? It is other drivers for which you need to watch out. Safety groups are encouraging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop better precautions and awareness campaigns, but otherwise no one is doing much to address the root of the problem — negligent drivers.
If you were involved in a speed-related accident and survived, you are probably facing a long road to recovery. From the physical pain and suffering to the emotional trauma and the onslaught of medical bills, getting better is not easy. However, compensation can help ease this journey, and many victims in South Carolina choose to utilize personal injury claims when seeking legal recourse.
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