Some of the most serious car accidents, leading to the most severe injuries, are those that happen at a high rate of speed. Speed limits exist to try to reduce this risk and keep people safe, but drivers speed every single day. Someone who is driving recklessly above the speed limit when they cause a car accident runs a much greater risk of seriously injuring someone in the other vehicle.
The first reason for this is simply that an accident at higher speeds contains more energy. In a collision, speed and mass determine how much energy is exerted on the occupants of any specific vehicle. At higher speeds, drivers and passengers suffer greater physical trauma, so there is a higher chance of internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and other serious complications.
Speeding can actually cause the accident itself
In addition to making injuries more severe, speeding drivers are also at greater risk of being involved in an accident to begin with. They may be driving too fast for road conditions or for the road design itself, causing them to lose control of the vehicle.
Even if the driver does not directly lose control, speeding reduces their reaction time. Unexpected events do happen on the road, such as sudden traffic backups in a construction zone or an animal entering the traffic lane. A driver who is speeding has far less time to mentally process this change and then physically react appropriately by hitting the brakes, so car accidents are more likely.
Even if you follow the appropriate speed limits at all times, you do face risks from other speeding drivers. Be sure you understand how to seek financial compensation after an accident.
