Speeding is one of the most common factors in serious and fatal crashes throughout Kansas. In fact, 94 out of 404 statewide traffic fatalities in 2018 were caused by speeding.
According to an article in KNSS, a new report regarding states with the most speeders was released by car marketplace website CoPilot.
How much of a problem is speeding in Kansas?
CoPilot used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to rank states based on the number of road deaths linked to speeding.
The good news is that Kansas ranked No. 32 in the study with speeding crashes accounting for only 26.6 percent of all statewide traffic fatalities. This is below the national average. Over the course of five years, there have been 524 deaths caused by speeding out of 2,034 total traffic deaths.
The bad news is that the problem of speeding varies throughout different parts of Kansas. For example, Wyandotte County — which is in the northeast part of the state — was found to be the worst county for speed-related crashes. In fact, this one county alone ranked the fifth-worst in the nation.
When a crash occurs, speed is usually determined to be a factor when:
- The at-fault driver was cited for speeding.
- The amount of damage caused by the crash and the tire marks in the road indicate that speeding was a factor.
Why do drivers speed?
Drivers often speed when they are in a hurry to get somewhere, are stressed out or are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
In recent months, speeding has become a major problem due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s because many drivers have taken advantage of the reduction in traffic congestion. Recent preliminary data analyzed by the National Safety Council has shown an increase in the rate of fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled during the months of March and April.
For example:
- In March 2019, the fatal crash rate was 1.07. That increased to 1.22 in March 2020.
- In April 2019, the fatal crash rate was 1.08. That increased to 1.47 in April 2020.
Why should speeders be held accountable?
When drivers exceed the posted speed limit, they are more likely to be involved in a crash than those who obey the speed limit. What’s worse, the faster a driver travels at the time of a crash, the more devastating the impact will be.
That’s why police are often out in full force stopping and ticketing drivers who speed. The police can’t be everywhere all the time, however. Speeders who slip under the radar often endanger other road users. When they cause someone’s injury or death, they can and should be held accountable.
If you were injured in a crash with a speeder, contact an experienced Kansas car accident attorney at Bretz & Young Injury Lawyers to learn about the legal options available to you and how to maximize your compensation. We offer free legal consultations to clients across the state of Kansas.
