Cars might be built to go fast, but that does not mean it is safe to travel above the posted speed limit. Unfortunately, many drivers in Louisiana seem to think that speeding is the only appropriate way to get from Point A to Point B. This kind of behavior puts you and everyone else on the road at risk for serious injury or even death.
There are several reasons that speeding is so dangerous. For example, speeding drivers cannot stop as quickly when they encounter an emergency, which increases the chances of causing an accident. Speeding drivers are also more likely to lose control of their vehicles when they take evasive action.
The problem with higher speed limits
Some people argue that speeding is not the real problem. Instead, they blame speed variation, which is the difference in speed between vehicles. If speed variation were the problem, an easy solution would be to raise the speed limit to match the speeding drivers, which would get everyone on the road driving at the same speed.
This approach does not work. When speed limits go up, the drivers who were following the speed limit before do raise their speeds to match the new limit. However, the previously speeding drivers start driving even faster, exceeding the new limit.
The role of age in speeding
Any driver of any age or gender can be a speeding driver, but some people are more likely to speed than others. Younger drivers are more likely to speed than their older counterparts, as are men when compared with women. Crashes and traffic violations involving younger drivers are also more likely to involve speeding than they are for older drivers.
Drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to get a speeding violation than drivers who are over the age of 30. In 2018, 19% of male drivers who caused fatal crashes were found to have been speeding. Only 11% of female drivers who caused fatal accidents were speeding.
Methods of speed enforcement
Law enforcement officials have a number of different ways they try to enforce the speed limit. However, many of these methods involve stopping an already speeding driver rather than preventing the speeding in the first place.
If you suffered injury in an accident caused by a speeding driver, you know all too well how serious the aftermath can be. While you are doing your best on your physical recovery, you might also be struggling financially and emotionally. Getting help can be key to your recovery, so you need the right guidance on your side. Do not delay in reaching out to an experienced attorney who can help you navigate through your personal injury claim.