How Fast Can You Drive? The Truth About Speeding

Speeding may usually not be the only or proximate cause of a car crash, but it is a contributing factor in close to 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents.

In Wisconsin just like in the rest of the country, young males are the most likely to be speeding. In 2008, the proportion of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes was:     

• 37 percent for male drivers aged 15-20
• 24 percent for female drivers aged 15-20
• 37 percent for male drivers aged 21-24
• 20 percent for female drivers aged 21-24

The above figures show that young male drivers do not learn fast: the proportion of speeding young males involved in deadly crashes stays the same all the way from age 15 to 24, whereas the same proportion for female drivers drops from 24 to 20 percent over the same period.

Even so, this proportion is tragically high, and gets only worse when alcohol is involved. 41 percent of drivers with blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more and involved in fatal crashes, were speeding compared with only 15 percent when no alcohol was detected.

It gets even worse when the sun goes down. A full 72 percent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes between midnight and 3 a.m. were alcohol-impaired with a BAC of 0.08 or more.

Even if not combined with alcohol, speeding is dangerous.

Speeding was a factor in 29 percent of fatal accidents on dry roads, and the proportion increases to 35 percent on wet roads, 54 percent when there was snow or slush on the road and 59 percent on icy roads. The proportion of fatal accidents involving speeding was only 12 percent on Interstate highways, the largest proportion of speed-related accidents (almost 50 percent) occurred on non-interstate highways where the speed limit was less than 55 mph.

Hupy & Abraham, S.C. have offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton in Wisconsin, and Gurnee and Bloomington in Illinois. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle accident, contact today Hupy & Abraham at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions.