A significant number of serious and deadly accidents on Alabama roads are caused by speeding. In 2019, 216 people lost their lives in crashes involving a speeder. That's nearly a quarter of the 930 statewide deaths for that year. Speeding drivers often find themselves pressed for time, following the flow of traffic or thrill-seeking. Speeding is dangerous because drivers have less time to avoid a crash and less control over their cars. Additionally, the faster someone drives, the more severe a collision will be.
The legal team at Dean Waite & Associates, LLC often sees injured motorists spend several years in recovery or families lose loved ones. Those who survive speed-related crashes, often sustain:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones
- Serious neck, back and spine injuries
- Crushed limbs and amputations
- Internal organ damage
- Permanent nerve damage
- Paralysis
Sadly, many drivers are willing to take the risk of injuring themselves or others. A survey posted on The Zebra's website finds that most drivers exceed the speed limit at times, even when they know that it's dangerous. SurveyGizmo conducted the survey in October of 2020, and it involved more than 1,200 drivers ages 18 to 85 in the United States.
The perception most drivers have on speeding
The survey found that:
- 87% of survey respondents confessed to speeding at least a few times within the past year.
- Despite this, 82% agreed that speeding is dangerous.
- 35% of those who confessed to speeding said it is "never appropriate."
- 79% said speeding is not acceptable in school zones.
- 64% said it is not acceptable when there is a child in the car.
- 40% said that it is OK when there is little traffic.
- 16% said they didn't speed if they felt that their safety was in jeopardy.
The survey also explored participants' views of unsafe driving. Drunk driving was classified as the riskiest driving activity by the majority of survey respondents, followed by distracted driving, road rage and speeding. Based on crash fatality rates, the actual ranking was:
- Speeding - 17% fatality rate
- Drunk driving - 10% fatality rate
- Road rage - 5% fatality rate
- Distracted driving - 5% fatality rate
Dedicated to holding speeders accountable
There is a reason why we have posted speed limits in Alabama — to prevent catastrophes from occurring. Yet far too many drivers knowingly fail to comply with the posted speed limits. There is generally an "it will never happen to me" attitude surrounding speed-related car wrecks. Some drivers may go years without dealing with any consequences of speeding. At best, the police finally catch and ticket them. At worst, they cause someone's injury or death. The car accident attorneys at Dean Waite & Associates, LLC see the latter happen too often. That's why we dedicate ourselves to holding speeders accountable when they injure or kill someone.
If you or a loved one sustained injuries in a speed-related crash, know your rights. You are under no obligation to give the other driver's insurance company a recorded statement or accept a lowball settlement. You deserve to recover every dollar in medical expenses, lost wages, property damage and non-economic damages. Our legal team will work with you every step of the way to build a strong case. When it comes to negotiating a settlement, we won't accept anything less than a full recovery.
To get started on your claim, contact or call our law office in Mobile and set up your free case evaluation.