Car accidents affect California residents every day. One of the biggest causes of serious crashes is speed.
How does speeding cause car accidents?
When a driver speeds, it usually includes other bad behaviors. It is often done considerably higher than the legal speed limit and in any type of road or weather condition. In inclement weather, drivers are advised to slow down a few miles per hour under the speed limit.
Speeding often occurs because a driver is in a hurry to get somewhere or in a bad mood. It can accompany the problem of road rage. However, even when drivers are not in a bad mood, they might speed to engage in a drag race with or without another vehicle.
Whatever the reason behind a driver speeding, the behavior is dangerous and puts everyone on the road at risk of a serious car crash.
What can happen when drivers speed?
Speeding makes it difficult for the driver to control their vehicle. It might be harder to control the steering and is especially difficult to travel along curves in the road. The speed, coupled with gravity, causes the car to be pulled and veer into other lanes in areas with curves.
A driver isn’t as able to react when they’re speeding. Traveling too fast over the speed limit means that if there’s suddenly a reason to stop, the driver won’t be able to do so as quickly as they need to or safely. For example, if there’s a pothole in the road that was unseen until the last minute, the driver would not have enough time to react or slow down to stop in time to avoid hitting it.
Modern vehicles are equipped with safety features. Speeding can reduce the effectiveness of those features and even increase the risk of injuries.
Car crashes stemming from speeding significantly increase the risk of serious injuries and fatalities. If the vehicle that’s speeding is an SUV or truck, there is a higher chance of a rollover accident occurring. This is a type of accident that often leads to catastrophic injuries and even death.
If you suffered injuries in an accident involving a speeding driver, hold that person accountable.