Throughout the United States, speed limits are going up. Within the past three years, five states have raised the speed limits on interstates to 80 miles per hour or more. In one state, the maximum speed limit is actually 85 MPH now. In states that have not yet jumped on the bandwagon of increasing speed limits, there is a lot of pressure on politicians to join the trend and let motorists go faster.

Unfortunately, as Wired points out, raising speed limits can be extremely dangerous. Why? More crashes can occur and those crashes are more likely to be serious when cars are going at higher speeds. Still, the pressure to raise limits means that speed is likely to continue rising despite these risks. Motorists who are affected by the unsafe actions of speeding drivers should consult with a Janesville auto accident lawyer like Steve Caya to find out what options they have for pursuing a claim for compensation from the driver whose speeding caused a crash to occur.

SPEEDING CAN INCREASE ACCIDENT RISKS

Speed limits have been steadily on the rise across the United States for a while, although more states have been taking action in recent years and political pressure is mounting for faster limits. Because of the long-term trend towards increasing maximum allowable speeds, there is ample data showing the consequences of rising limits. The news is not good.

According to a 2009 study, speed limit increases caused an estimated 12,545 fatalities and 36,582 injuries between 1995 and 2005. There was also a 9.1 percent increase in the number of fatalities on rural interstates during this time period, which can be directly attributed to rising speed limits.

When cars are allowed to travel at faster speeds, a number of things happen to make fatal crashes more likely. Drivers going fast have longer stopping distances and are less likely to be able to get their car to stop before hitting a person or vehicle in front of them. Higher speed crashes also produce more force, which means when crashes occur the chances of a death are higher.

Despite the fact that driving faster is more dangerous, fast driving is something that the majority of the population does. More than 25 percent of all drivers admit they automatically speed without thinking about it, and around 16 percent of motorists believe that going faster than posted speed limits isn’t dangerous as long as a driver is skilled.  The common perceptions about speeding as a safe and normal activity help to explain why there is so much pressure on lawmakers to raise limits.

While people may think speeding is safe, the reality is that it is not. When motorists go too fast, they can hurt themselves and others. That said, a speeding driver needs to be held accountable for losses he or she causes. Attorney Steve Caya can help victims pursue claims so those who cause speed-related crashes can be made to provide compensation to accident victims and their families. Call him for help as soon as possible to get the compensation you deserve for your automobile accident.