All drivers, passengers and pedestrians sharing New Jersey’s roads deserve to be safe while traveling. However, speeding is a major cause of car crashes that can result in serious injuries and fatalities.
Why is speeding dangerous?
Speeding is dangerous as it can lead to terrible car accidents. Many victims end up suffering catastrophic, disabling injuries and even death as a result of crashes stemming from speeding. As recently as 2019, speeding resulted in 26% of all fatalities from car accidents. Certain situations can make speeding even more dangerous such as poor weather conditions and poor road conditions.
When a driver chooses to speed, it puts everyone at risk. This includes other drivers and passengers, pedestrians and even themselves.
How can speeding lead to a car accident?
When a driver speeds, it can dramatically increase the odds that they will get into a crash. There are various reasons for that. Driving at too high a speed can lead to losing control of a vehicle. This can even result in a rollover, one of the most serious types of car accidents.
Speeding makes it more difficult to slow down or stop in time. It takes longer for a driver to slow down. Plus, they might not notice stopped traffic, debris in the road or a pedestrian or animal until they’re very close to them. Stopping is far more difficult when there’s limited time to do so at faster speeds.
Although many of the more modern vehicles are equipped with safety measures such as airbags and automatic braking, these features might not work as intended if the vehicle is speeding. Injuries that result in a car crash can be disabling or even fatal.
Drivers speed for many reasons. It might be that they’re running late to a destination or they’re annoyed with the traffic conditions. In some cases, it’s that they just don’t have any regard for the law, rules of the road or other people.
If you have suffered injuries due to a driver who was speeding, it’s important to make sure they are held liable for your damages.