"No one likes getting into accidents, but no one likes being late."
When your in the drivers seat it's tempting to go faster. You tell yourself "I'll enjoy this" or "I'm going to make up for lost time". The reality is speeding is one of the drangerous and costly decisions while driving. It increases the risk of accidents, doesn't save significant time, spends more money on gas, and wears down your vehicle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding was a factor in nearly 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021, killing more than 12,000 people (NHTSA, 2023). The dangers are real, and yet, drivers speed every single day.
A clear danger of speeding is the increased chance of hitting something: another car, object in the road, going off the road, or a pedestrian. The fact is at higher speeds requires further distance to stop.
Now you why speeding is among the top causes of car crashes, worldwide.
We all believe speeding can get us to our desistination faster. Studies show its marginal.
With traffic lightes and slow downs, those minuets reduce to seconds. Are seconds worth the risk of tickets, accidents, or worse?
The U.S. Department of Energy explains that gas mileage decreases above 50 mph. The fast lane is the expensive lane. Slowing down is the "The Zone", saves fule, money, and the environment.
Your car gets a beating from speeding. Tires wear out quicker spinning at higher speeds and generating more heat. Brakes degrade faster as they need to work harder to stop.
In the long run, speeding doesn't help you, it takes you the car shop sooner than later.
Speeding is not your friend. A friend doesnt cause accidents, waste your time and money, or damage your vehicle. Consider a habit of driving in the safe zone - for the purpose of driving, which is to get somewhere.