While traveling on Route 60 in New York, you may find cars speeding past you in droves. Perhaps you have been injured at the hands of a speeding driver. Unfortunately, speeding continues to be one of the leading factors in car accidents, and there are no signs of the trend abating.
In fact, one study reported that two-thirds of all vehicles exceed the speed limit at one time or another. That includes vehicles on urban roads, highways and rural roads. Its very prevalence makes speeding seem acceptable.
Two types of speeding
Simply exceeding the speed limit is not the only type of speeding there is. A driver can also be said to speed if they travel too fast for road conditions. Rain, fog and snow obviously call for slower driving because of factors like limited visibility and slippery roads.
Dangers of speeding
The faster a driver goes, the less time they have to react to dangers like debris on the road or other drivers cutting in and braking suddenly. To make matters worse, speeding often goes hand in hand with tailgating; speeding drivers are often impatient to get ahead and want to intimidate those in front.
Faster speeds are treacherous on slippery surfaces because they can cause the tires to completely lose traction with the road: a process called hydroplaning. Drivers will find themselves unable to steer or brake in a hydroplaning vehicle. In addition, speeding increases the force of impact in the case of a crash, leading to more severe injuries for all parties concerned.
Speeding and personal injury law
Speeding drivers won’t just face a ticket if they cause a crash. They may find that their insurance company has to deal with a personal injury claim. If you’re the victim of a speeding-related accident, you may want to consult a lawyer to help determine the degrees of fault in the motor vehicle crash. That way, you may have a better idea of how much you might recover in damages. It’s also advisable to have the lawyer negotiate for the settlement on your behalf.