A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association should be of interest to anyone in Minnesota who is concerned about the prevalence of speeding on the roadways. Speeding contributes to nearly one-third of all motor vehicle-related fatalities, yet many consider it culturally acceptable. The GHSA has thus recommended various ways that the members of its State Highway Safety Offices can reduce speeding.
Speeding increases not only the chance of a crash but also the severity of crashes and injuries, especially among pedestrians and bicyclists. Conversely, even a slight decrease in speed can reduce the severity and save lives. Urban areas like Boston and New York City have lowered their speed limits in the effort to reduce overall vehicle speeds.
While this has had some positive effect, the GHSA emphasizes the fact that more speeding-related deaths arise in rural areas than urban. There were, in 2016 alone, more than 5,000 such deaths on rural roadways. In this regard, it is a good idea, says the GHSA, to apply the principles of the Vision Zero roadway project to rural regions.
One way to reduce speeding is to build roundabouts and other traffic calming elements. Most crucial, though, are better education and stricter law enforcement. The GHSA, together with the IIHS, will hold a forum with stakeholders concerning the development of a speed reduction program.
Those who are injured by a speeding driver may be eligible for compensation. They may benefit from hiring a lawyer who handles car accident cases since these require knowledge of personal injury law and the state’s negligence rule. The lawyer might be able to bring in crash investigators to show, through physical evidence from the crash site if necessary, that the defendant was speeding. The lawyer may be able to negotiate for a fair settlement with the defendant’s auto insurance company.