Stats on Speeding and Traffic Safety in Texas

Driving is obviously not without risk, but one factor that consistently makes it that much riskier is excess speed. Far too many motorists ignore speed limits – or refuse to reduce their speed in relation to the condition of the roads they travel on – and they make our roadways far more dangerous places in the process. If a speeding driver leaves you or someone you care about injured in a traffic accident, working closely with an experienced Texas traffic accident attorney is the surest way to help protect your rights and your rightful compensation

Statistics on Speeding

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Safety Council (NSC) share all the following sobering statistics related to speeding:

In 2019, 9,478 people lost their lives on our roadways as a result of excess speed (NHTSA)
Excess speed played a role in 26 percent of all the deadly traffic accidents on our roads in 2019 (NSC).
12 percent of all the traffic accidents that caused injuries in 2019 involved speeding (NHTSA)
In 2019, about 326,000 people were injured in traffic accidents that were speed-related (NHTSA).
In 2019, 33 percent of motorcyclists killed in accidents were speeding, which is more than for any other category of motorist (NHTSA).
The State of Texas had the most speed-related traffic deaths of any state in 2019, with 1,110 (NHTSA).

Speeding Is Dangerous on Multiple Levels

NHTSA shares that speeding is dangerous for the following reasons:

When motorists speed, they increase the risk that they will lose control of their vehicles in the process of driving.
When motorists speed, they increase the stopping distances required to react safely to any risks perceived on the road ahead.
When motorists speed, they reduce the effectiveness of their vehicles’ occupant protection equipment, such as airbags and seat belts.
When motorists speed, they increase the severity of any accidents that do happen (the greater the speed, the more dangerous the accident).

The simple fact of the matter is that when motorists ignore the speed limit or refuse to decrease their speed in response to bad weather or to anything else that adversely affects the road’s condition, they not only make accidents more likely but also make them more likely to be dangerous. Those factors that are most likely to affect the road’s condition include:

Inclement weather
Inadequate maintenance
Debris from road construction
Poor signage

Reacting Safely to Motorists Who Speed

While motorists who speed excessively make our highways and byways much more dangerous places, you are not completely at their mercy. There are things you can do to help protect yourself, including:

Allow speeding motorists all the space on the road that you can (keep in mind that they are more likely to lose control of their vehicles).
When you are traveling in the left lane and see someone gaining on you, the safest practice is to pull back into the right lane and allow the speeding motorist to pass you.
Always check your own desire to retaliate against a speeding driver who cuts you off – or otherwise engages in a dangerous practice that involves you.

Always modify your driving according to the situation you encounter. Speeding is the hallmark of aggressive drivers, and aggressive drivers are the most dangerous drivers out there because they basically thumb their noses at safety. If a driver who is speeding is also attempting to engage you by riding your bumper, honking at you, or engaging in any other kind of dangerous driving practice, use your best judgment to safely wriggle out of the situation in whatever way you can. Once it is safe to do so, alerting the authorities about the dangerous motorist is your best option – you could help diffuse a life-threatening situation.

Your Losses

Traffic accidents caused by excess speed tend to be more serious accidents, which means the losses you incur are likely to add up that much more quickly.

Your Medical Expenses

To begin, you will likely need emergency care at the scene of the accident and emergency transportation to the hospital. From here, you can incur all the following medical costs:

Surgery and follow-up care
Care from a wide range of medical professionals, including doctors and specialists
Medical treatments, procedures, and tests
Pain management that may include chiropractic care
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, or both
Rehabilitation
Prescription medications

Often, when excess speed is involved, claimants experience ongoing healthcare concerns that lead to more extensive medical needs that may address complications and secondary health concerns.

Your Lost Income

While you address the matter of your recovery, you are very likely to be off the job and to experience a related loss in pay. Because this is coupled with mounting medical bills, the financial devastation can be overwhelming. If your ability to work or to continue advancing your career goals is affected, the financial sting is likely to be that much more profound.

Your Pain and Suffering

One form of loss that many accident victims fail to recognize is the pain and suffering they experience. The terror associated with being injured as a result of another driver’s excess speed in a violent car accident can be immense, and it can lead to significant emotional consequences that are difficult to overcome.

The most important point to keep in mind in relation to your losses is that the better represented they are in your traffic accident claim, the better positioned you’ll be to obtain just compensation that allows you to move forward toward your fullest recovery. This primary task is best suited to your dedicated traffic accident attorney.

Don’t Wait to Reach Out to an Experienced Texas Traffic Accident Attorney

The formidable Texas traffic accident attorneys at The Patel Firm take considerable pride in their impressive track record of successfully guiding claims like yours toward beneficial outcomes. To learn more about how we can also help you, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 361-400-2036 today.