Amid concerns about road safety, the Colorado State Patrol has emphasized the very real dangers associated with speeding. According to Colorado State Patrol, they disclosed an alarming statistic last year, troopers investigated over 560 fatal and injury crashes involving a speeding driver. The report vehemently challenges the notion held by some that speeding is a harmless act.
Colorado State Patrol Chief Col. Matthew C. Packard was quick to underline the consequences. "While these same people want to think of their crime as a ‘technical one’, their actions increase the chance of a crash and elevate the overall damage caused. The higher the speed the greater the momentum," he said, as per Colorado State Patrol. To quickly explain, the faster a car travels, the less time a driver has to react, making it harder to safely navigate the unexpected. At 60 mph, reaction time is sliced by a dangerous 20% compared to traveling at 50 mph. Handling the vehicle during emergencies becomes increasingly challenging at these speeds as well.
The problem doesn't end with just reduced reaction times. There is also a significantly longer braking distance involved with higher speeds. To put numbers to the risk, at 60 mph, it takes a vehicle roughly 240 feet to come to a complete stop, which is over a 30% increase in distance from stopping at 50 mph. Such facts illustrate the tangible threats when speed limits are treated as mere suggestions.
The severity of injuries from crashes is another factor that cannot be overlooked. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that "the risk of severe injury or death increases significantly with each 10 mph increment over the speed limit," as obtained by the Colorado State Patrol. This isn't just a matter of the driver who chooses to quickly go, either. Every pedestrian and driver nearby is put at an elevated risk, with safety technology like seatbelts and airbags becoming less effective at higher speeds.
