The saying “speed kills” is a cliché we are all familiar with. Speed increases the likelihood of an accident and the fatality of the impact. Experts say that when driving speed increases by 10 mph, the probability of dying in a car crash increases by 200%. This post contains some of the consequences of speeding and how it affects car crashes. Read on to find out more!
7 Consequences of Speeding While Driving
- It isn’t easy to drive through a curve without going out of the lane
- It reduces the response time. We are limited by our brain’s ability to notice external events in time to stop a crash.
- The in-built protection may no longer be useful when the car is at high speed. Airbags and seat belt belts no longer matter. There have been cases of protection features being the cause of death.
- Going too fast and braking reduces the gas mileage by 15-30%. In other words, it decreases the fuel’s efficiency
- Vehicles with a high center of gravity increase their chances of rolling over when they move too fast.
- Even if you see the danger and react ahead of time, it is impossible to make the car truly stop in time, hence, increasing the stopping distance.
- There are after-effects besides injuries to attend to. There are lawsuits, liability damage claims, fines, tickets, and loss of license.
So yes, speeding will affect car crashes in many ways, starting from the collision force to the distances, etc.
How Speeding Has an Impact on Car Crash?
A tiny increase in speed can make a huge difference. The speed at which collisions occur determines the severity of car and property damage along with the number of casualties.
A car moving a 45mhp or above is more likely to have a bad collision as opposed to a vehicle moving at 30mph or less. A small increase in speed, even by 5 mph, will increase the collision force exponentially.
Speed and Brakes
Even if you react in time to stop the car from collisions, inertia will always play its part. Inertia is the reluctance of a body at rest to accelerate or a body in motion to come to rest.
For instance, if a car is moving at 30mph and needs to come to rest at 42 feet and if it takes 3 seconds to do that, a car moving at 60 or 70 mph will need additional time to halt. The tires still move extra feet before coming to a stop.
It’ll take a miracle to halt a car going at high speed if there’s a fence or a pole in front of it. Studies have shown that there is a 2% chance of an accident, 3% chance of injury and 4% chance of fatality for every 1% increase in speed.
Obey the speed limit or adjust it as dictated by the weather or traffic. Additionally, purchase adequate car insurance to protect your vehicle financially in case of any mishap. There are several types of coverage available for your needs. Our experts at Duane Weber Insurance Agency are there to help you. Reach out to us today to get a quote for free!