The Dangers Of Speeding                                                               Matt Whittington

Speeding while driving is easily one of the most dangerous things a driver can do while behind the wheel. The chances of even a strong driver getting into an accident are high when they do not follow the speed limits listed on roads. Many people use being late for work or class as an excuse to drive fast, but it is not worth it to the risk of injury, or death to themselves, and the other innocent drivers on the road. According to a study by WWW.NHTSA.GOV, speeding is a factor in 33% of all car crashes. This averages out to have about 13,000 lives loss every single year in the United States alone. Sometimes it does not seem like a big deal to speed because your in a rush, or if but fighting the temptation could be a life saver. Also it is good to keep in mind that a speeding ticket will add points to your license, and could result in its suspension. However if you have a junior operators license one single ticket can have you lose your license for 180 days. These facts alone should be enough to keep drivers in line, but sometimes they simply do not.

Speeding, while very dangerous, is also very costly to the violator, and also to society. Also according to, WWW.NHTSA.GOV, in the United States it costs society a whopping 76,000 dollars for every single minute you gain by speeding. If you think that this is a lot, then you will be shocked to learn that speeding related car accidents costs society in the United States in excess of 40,000,000 dollars annually. Drivers should also keep in mind that according to WWW.FUELECONOMY.GOV, it costs drivers an extra $0.24 every gallon of gas for every 5 miles per hour you travel over 60 miles per hour. Driving past the posted speed limits can result out of pocket costs as a ticket can cost anywhere from $150 to over $1,000.

Speeding is the third leading contributor to traffic collisions, according to WWW.NSC.ORG. Speeding is behind impaired driving, and distracted driving, which sometimes can end up going hand in hand with each other. Doing any one of these is extremely dangerous, and it should go without saying that they absolutely under no circumstances should be combined because the result is nearly a guaranteed accident waiting to happen. Speeding may at times seem necessary, but it is not important enough to cause the death of another innocent person or yourself.