Pennsylvania Drivers Urged to Slow Down

Many of our articles have focused on the dangers of distracted driving and drunk driving.  However, with key safety campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the hazards of these two dangerous behaviors, drivers are beginning to put down their cell phones and drive only when sober.  Now, according to a new study, speed-related crashes are on the rise.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that 31 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States in 2010 were caused by a speeding driver.  Further, speeding is the “one highway safety area where progress has not been made in almost three decades.”

According to the 2010 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics, 1,324 people died in auto accidents during the year.  Of those, 459 were alcohol-related and 404 were speed-related.  Just as the GSHA reports of the nationwide data, accidents caused by speeding drivers in PA accounted for 31 percent of the fatal accidents in the state.

The report, “Survey of the States: Speeding and Aggressive Driving,” released last week, cites driver indifference to speeding and the perception that speeding tickets are simply another means for jurisdictions to raise revenue as the primary obstacles for states’ ability to crackdown on speeders.

In a separate study reported in “The Police Chief” magazine in 2006, researchers found that most drivers who regularly drive a familiar route determine what speeds they feel comfortable with under ideal conditions and tend to drive at that speed – regardless of the posted speed limit.

The GHSA made the following recommendations to states to ramp up speeding enforcement across the U.S.:

• Explore addressing speed concerns through aggressive driving enforcement, since the public believes that aggressive driving is a more serious threat to safety.
• Target speed enforcement in school and work zones, as this approach has a higher degree of public support and is largely viewed as non-controversial.

The GHSA suggests the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sponsor speeding and aggressive driving campaigns; promote best practices in automated enforcement strategies; and sponsor a forum on speeding and aggressive driving by bringing together experts in the field.

“We need to bring the same level of federal and state energy to addressing speed that was brought to tackling seat belt use and drunk driving. More than 10,000 families are losing a loved one every year because of speeding-related crashes. It is time for action,” said GHSA Chairman Troy E. Costales.

Our PA car accident attorneys urge all drivers to heed the posted speed limits.  The limits are imposed for a reason, and when followed, have been shown to save lives.  As always, please buckle up before heading out.

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, including those injured in accidents that involve speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, aggressive driving and careless driving in hazardous weather conditions. The Pennsylvania personal injury law firm’s additional practice areas include trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, toxic chemicals, workplace injuries, nursing home litigation and other serious accidents.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys has offices throughout Pennsylvania, including Scranton, Stroudsburg, Clarks Summit, Wilkes-Barre, and Philadelphia. To contact the law firm, visit the firm’s online contact form.