Dangers of Speeding

Many of us are guilty of speeding a little to get to a destination faster, not realizing that “just going 5 mph over the speed limit puts drivers, their passengers and everyone else on the road at a greater risk of a serious crash” (Speeding and Aggressive Driving, December 12, 2019). The more that the driver speeds, the less reaction time and control he or she has over the vehicle. Speeding is something that can be prevented; there are speed limits indicated on the applications that we use like Google maps, in addition to the speed limit signs along the road. Generally, go 15 miles per hour when in a school zone, 35 miles per hour when in the suburbs, 55 miles per hour when on a highway or freeway, 65 miles per hour on rural interstate highways, and 70 miles per hour on some posted freeways and expressways (Buckner, Ask an Officer: Speed Limits, March 7, 2018). It seems ridiculous when you are only going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit but, what is even more ridiculous is knowing that something that can easily be prevented “killed 155 people and injured more than 76,000” in Wisconsin (Speeding and Aggressive Driving, December 12, 2019). We have to take responsibility. Assuming that a driver is sober and has control over the vehicle, speeding does not get the driver to a destination much sooner than if he or she is driving the speed limit; to be two minutes early is not worth the lives risked. Understanding that “one out of five traffic convictions last year was for speeding”, Wisconsinites not only have a duty to be informed but a duty to either change their behavior or change that of someone else’s when in a vehicle (Speeding and Aggressive Driving, December 12, 2019). We can bring into fruition the change that we would like to see occur.  

Speeding and Aggressive Driving, December 12, 2019, https://witrafficsafety.org/speeding/

Buckner, Ask an Officer: Speed Limits, March 7, 2018, https://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/travel/2018/03/07/ask-officer-speed-limits/399570002/