The Dangers of Speeding

The Dangers of Speeding
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The Dangers of Speeding
A lot of people lose their lives as a result of speeding. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 1.4 million people die every year because of road accidents. This means that the world loses potential leaders, young, budding, and energetic youths, and dreamers whose visions could have altered the course of the earth. WHO continues to note that for children and young adults who are aged between 5 and 29, road accidents are the leading cause of death. This is a sad statistic and one that should bring shame to the world. Road traffic accidents are quite costly and greatly impact the gross domestic product of countries. At a personal level, road accidents can greatly impact a family both economically and psychologically. At the national level, the impact of losing one person is also felt as the productivity of an entire country reduces. In the end, WHO reports that road accidents cost countries about 3% of their GDP. But are all road accidents as a result of speeding? The answer is no. Not all road accidents are as a result of speeding. However, speeding increases the likelihood of an accident. There is a strong relationship between speeding and accident risk. But it should be noted that the rate of accidents does vary when the type or condition of a road, as well as the speed level, are considered. WHO notes that “an increase in average speed is directly related both to the likelihood of a crash occurring and to the severity of the consequences of the crash.” So, speeding is indeed a risk factor while considering road accidents. While the main goal of this essay is to discuss the dangers or consequences of speeding, the author will also explain what speeding is, discuss the differences between speeding and bad driving, offer some reasons why people speed, and then discuss what should be done to help avert the dangers of speeding.
What is speeding?
For most people, speeding is driving above the legal limit. Cambridge Dictionary defines speeding as “driving faster than is allowed in a particular area.” But does speeding involve driving faster than the limit only? The answer is no. It is crucial to understand that there is excessive speed and inappropriate speed. Excessive speed is what people understand as driving beyond the set speed limit. This is considered criminal and against the law and people found to be driving beyond the set speed limit are punished. One can be fined or receive penalty points on their license which could eventually lead to a person getting stripped of their license. When people drive beyond the set speed limits, they increase the chances of collisions or accidents happening.
Inappropriate speed, on the other hand, involves driving too fast for a particular road or conditions. This mainly involves a person making the wrong judgment or decision with regards to the road they driving on. For example, it makes little sense to drive at 35mph within the confines of an estate or on a road whose speed limit is 25mph. As a driver, it is crucial to consider an area and the surrounding. There could be a lot of parked vehicles, small children playing, cyclists, pedestrians, etc. and all these things need to influence the judgment one makes while driving. Driving at an inappropriate speed increases the chances of a person getting an accident or endangering the lives of other people. As a driver and a human being, it is every person’s responsibility to make sure that their actions do not endanger another person’s life. Inappropriate driving can also involve driving at high speed while the road conditions do not allow. For example, it could be raining heavily, or the roads could be impassable due to their bad condition. So, as a driver, it is essential that one considers all these factors before deciding to drive at the set limit even when there is no need.
Difference Between Speeding and Bad/Reckless Driving
Speeding and reckless/bad driving are often used interchangeably, but these two are quite different. Speeding as explained involves either driving above the limit or driving at the set limit on a road whose conditions do not allow or are not favorable. Reckless driving, on the other hand, involves driving in a way that shows indifference or that does not respect the safety as well as the property of other people. The American Bar Association defines reckless driving as “as any driving act, whether malicious or negligent, that is dangerous to people or property.” In many states in the U.S., reckless driving is considered a worse crime compared to speeding. While speeding is considered an infraction that may incur a small fine, reckless driving is considered a crime and one a person can serve jail time for.
It is crucial to note that speeding can be considered reckless driving, but reckless driving does not necessarily have to involve speeding. For reckless driving, one has to be deemed to be of sound mind but acting in a way that endangers the lives of other people. There are instances, however, when speeding can be considered reckless driving. For example, a driver could be driving at high speed on a road that has a lot of traffic. In this case, one can be judged to be driving recklessly because they are endangering the lives and property of other people. So, while there is a difference, there exists a thin line between these two terms.
Reasons why people speed
But why do people speed? Why are people tempted to break the law knowingly? People are well aware of the dangers of speeding because the news channels always remind us of the lives lost as a result of speeding. However, these statistics never seem to scare people or make them stop the habit of speeding. A person could be driving a road with signs, posters, and billboards that are warning them against speeding. But even with such warnings, it is possible to find people who are speeding. So, what reasons contribute to the decision to speed?
* Familiarity – when a person is used to driving in a particular route, they often get the feeling that they know a particular road too well to make any mistake even when they over speed. One’s body can get used to what a person does while on such a route, and this can lead to speeding. It is also possible for a person to be overconfident and this can lead to speeding. When a person is overconfident, the concern for safety can be ignored. In the end, people happen to have that one fateful evening or day when an accident happens, and they either lose their life or end up taking another person’s life.
* Lack of enough time – this can happen when people find themselves running out of time to get home, get to an event, or get to work. When people are missing out on important things, they tend to drive faster so as to make up for their lateness. Such people ignore the traffic lights or drive faster as they seek to get around the slow drivers. In such instances, it is also possible to get irritated and find oneself getting angry at other drivers.
* In search of thrill – this is a reason that applies to a lot of young drivers those who are in their twenties and thirties. For such people, speeding is considered fun even though its repercussions or impact are dire. Motorists who are in search of thrill often involve alcohol and this but adds to the danger involved in their driving. For young drivers who are in search of thrill, social acceptance and peer pressure are factors that can lead them to drive at breathtaking speeds.
* When a driver is overconfident – this reason applies to people from different age groups. For example, drivers with years of experience can find themselves beaming with confidence while driving. To them, driving for years is something that validates their prowess and therefore, they should not be questioned when they speed. For young drivers, overconfidence can also lead to speeding. While for this lot experience is not a factor, it could be that one has been challenged by their friends and is thus trying to showcase their prowess as well. The problem, however, is that accidents can happen to anyone and experience cannot help a person when they are tumbling down a hill.
* Road rage – road rage mainly includes or involves motorists who drive angry and are always venting their frustrations at other drivers. Drivers who vent their frustrations are always complaining of other drivers and will always find a reason to speed. There are instances when people with road rage have engaged in high-speed chases with horrific endings.
* Traffic – traffic can also affect speeding. This mainly means environment-related factors like there being a few cars on the road or the weather being ‘suitable’ for speeding. People often speed when there are a few cars on the road. In their minds, a few cars on the road means that the test drive they have always put away should happen now. So, traffic also determines whether people speed or not.
* The roads can also be a reason why people speed – it is impossible for drivers to speed on a road that has a lot of potholes and is not maintained well. However, when the surface quality of a road is good, and the road layout appears to be inviting, many drivers will be given a ticket.
* The type of car one is driving – cars are meant to be driven, but there are those cars that are meant to be driven fast. Such a statement has led to many people getting served with tickets simply because they cannot stomach the thought of having their 600-horsepower vehicle limited to the normal driving speeds. So, these individuals will often be found driving fast, endangering the lives of other road users, and eventually, albeit unfortunate, suffering horrific accidents.
Dangers of Speeding
The dangers of speeding are far-reaching. Aside from death, there are other dangers that result from speeding. An entire country suffers when people are negligent of the traffic rules. Families are left in debt and children are left orphans because of speeding. The dangers of speeding are both predictable and preventable. It is possible for countries to enact laws and maintain strict restrictions to help ensure that people are not tempted to speed. In this section, the dangers or the consequences of speeding are discussed.
First of all, speeding leads to accidents which can eventually lead to death. As indicated by WHO, nearly 1.4 million people die each year because of road traffic a...