Slow Down or Die-The Consequences of Speeding

We all know the consequnces of reckless driving. We are constantly being told by our parents, drivers education instructors, and teachers to stay safe on the road and to not engage in reckless driving. We are also forced to sit through an eight hour drivers education class where we are lectured on how to drive responsibly and avoid crashes. So why do we still engage in reckless driving behaviors?

In the first 6 months of 2021, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the number of deaths in the United States due to traffic accidents was a staggering 20,160. That was the highest first half total since 2006. Reckless driving includes speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, using a cell-phone, not wearing a seat belt, passing on blind curves, racing, running red lights and stop signs, and other forms of distracted driving. According to NHTSA, distracted driving is the most common form of reckless driving. However, speeding is just as dangerous, accounting for 11,258 of the 38,824 auto accident fatalities in 2020. Montana, South Carolina and New Mexico were ranked as the most dangerous states for driving in 2023. However, reckless driving is a problem everywhere, not just in those selected states.

I live in Connecticut, and have witnessed many different forms of reckless driving. I am constantly exposed to speeding on the highways and backroads of Connecticut. Speeding is especially dangerous in New England because we have very windy roads and hills that are hard to see around. A very unfortunate incident happeded in Connecticut on Thanksgiving day in 2023, where two parents were killed and three children hospitalized in a motor vehicle accident. The car was traveling on a back road and went off the side and into the woods. It was announced that the accident was caused by speeding, but further details have still yet to be released. Even though we don’t know the specific cause of this fatal crash, the bottom line is clear: speeding is not worth the risk of losing your life or sustaining serious injury.

It is easy to go above the speed limit, especially on empty highways and backroads, but the consequences, like crashing or receving license suspension, far outweigh the benefits of this type of reckless driving.

I know from personal experience how tempting it can be to speed, especially when I’m late for an event. The temptation to speed is also high when there is no one else on the road, or when following another vehicle that is going over the speed limit. However, I have noticed that even when going above the speed limit, I arrive at my destination at about the same time as I would have if I had driven more cautiously. The bottom line is that we take an unnecessary risk when we choose to speed.

When we speed, we risk losing control of our vehicle and crashing. There is also less time to react to any obstacle that might step out into the road. This could be a pedestrian suddenly getting out of their parked car, or a large animal running into the middle of the road. In both cases, we risk being seriously injured or injuring or killing another person because we weren’t able to stop fast enough.

By estimation, the average driver saves 26 seconds per day and 2 minutes per week by speeding. That might sound good, if not considering the enormous consequences and potential risk of death we pose on ourselves and others by speeding.

I think it is safe to say that, based on the data available, we should all be slowing down on the road, not speeding up. So how can we convince people to slow down and start driving more responsibly? We cannot control the other drivers on the road, so what can we do today to make a difference and save lives?

Every human is responsible for his or her own actions. Therefore, the only thing we can do is be responsible drivers ourselves and set a good example to others. Law enforcers could set up more speed traps, especially on empty highways and backroads, and make the penalty for speeding more severe. For example, a higher fine or license suspension.

It is up to us as individuals to set good examples for each other, and to ensure that we are following speed limits and road safety guidlines. The next time we are tempted to speed, we should think of the consequences, and ask ourselves, “is it worth it?”