Highway commuters in New York might feel the need to drive fast, but speeding plays a significant role in traffic fatalities. A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association seeks to renew the focus on the risks of speeding, especially because society seems to condone driving over the speed limit. Drawing upon current data and research, the association concluded that speeding contributes to almost one-third of total traffic deaths.
The executive director of the GHSA said that public agencies needed to pay more attention to the threat of speeding. He recommended that federal, state and local governments assign more resources to combat the problem. The association’s report suggested multiple strategies to encourage drivers to slow down. These tactics included additional law enforcement campaigns, automated speed enforcement and roundabouts to slow traffic at intersections.
Researchers have identified rural highways as a large source of speeding fatalities. In 2016, over 5,000 people died in wrecks on those types of roads. The report from the GHSA urged rural, suburban and urban areas to make speed reduction a top priority to save lives. Speeding adds to the severity of crashes and poses extra danger to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Many people suffer serious or catastrophic injuries because of motor vehicle crashes that are not their fault. A victim of such an accident might want the support of a lawyer. Legal representation could relieve a person of burdensome tasks like investigating an accident and wrangling with an uncooperative insurance company. A lawyer might uncover a negligent driver’s insurance coverage and private assets. A lawyer could also contact an accident reconstruction specialist to obtain testimony about the cause of the accident. After filing a lawsuit, a lawyer might secure a settlement that adequately covers the client’s medical expenses and other losses.