The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently conducted a survey on speeding practices among American drivers.The results indicate a concerning trend.Although many American drivers believe that speeding is a highly dangerous behavior, many of them also admit that they often drive at high speeds to get to their destination on time.
The results of the survey were contained in the National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior, and found that approximately 4 to 5 drivers believe that driving at safe speeds helps prevent accidents.More than 91% believed that speed limits should be obeyed unconditionally because they are the law. In fact, as many as half of the drivers in the survey admitted that it was very important for transportation agencies to take stronger initiatives to reduce speeding on U.S. roadways.
However, when it comes to actually putting those beliefs into action, many American motorists seem to fall behind.Many of the motorists surveyed admitted to frequently travelling faster than posted speed limits.More than 25% of the motorists surveyed admitted that speeding was something they often did without thinking about it, and others said that they “enjoyed” the feeling that came with driving at excessive speeds.In addition, approximately 60% of the motorists claimed that driving at excessive speeds or above the speed limit, was not “really dangerous” for a skilled motorist.
Even a skilled driver can have trouble controlling a car when he or she is travelling at excessive speeds. We saw this recently when a popular Hollywood actor was killed while riding in a car with a friend who was a professional race car driver.It’s a fact of science that a car travelling at a very high speed is much more difficult to bring to a complete stop in time to avoid a pedestrian or an animal that has darted onto the road.Also, there is little even a trained driver can do once a car begins to rollover or skid out of control.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey definitely makes the case for a greater focus on reducing speeding on Georgia roads.Considering the fact that speeding kills more people in traffic accidents every year than any other factor, preventing it should be an important initiative for both safety agencies and drivers.