GHSA issues report on speeding and traffic fatalities

Illinois motorists may not be surprised to hear that speeding accounts for nearly one third of all motor vehicle-related fatalities. What’s worse is that the numbers are not going down and that many consider speeding to be culturally acceptable. The Governors Highway Safety Association has a report out on how the issue can be addressed at a deeper level.

The report shows that speeding increases the risk for fatalities, especially among pedestrians and bicyclists. Conversely, reducing one’s travel speed can lower crash and injury severity, saving lives in the process. Some urban areas, like New York City and Boston, have successfully lowered travel speeds by altering speed limits.However, the GHSA points out that more speeding-related fatalities occur in rural and suburban areas than in cities and calls for more attention to be paid to these. In 2016 alone, there were more than 5,000 speeding-related deaths on rural roadways.

Other recommendations include stricter enforcement of speeding laws and the building of traffic-calming elements like roundabouts. Together with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the GHSA will be holding a forum with major stakeholders in the development of a speed reduction program to be implemented by the GHSA’s State Highway Safety Offices. The goal is to improve driver education and create a safety-minded culture.

People who have been injured in a car collision that was the fault of a speeding or otherwise negligent driver often require lengthy periods of expensive medical care and treatment, during which they are unable to return to work. They might want to have the help of an attorney when seeking compensation for these and other losses, either through a settlement with the at-fault motorist’s insurer or a personal injury lawsuit.