5 Good Reasons To Slow Down
Putting the pedal to the metal does more than endanger you and others.
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Speed was a factor in 26% of all crash fatalities in 2019 according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety—which translated into more than 9,000 deaths that year.
You may think ignoring the speed limit will get you to your destination faster, but instead it could cost you your life—or someone else’s. It can greatly impact you in other ways, too. Here are five more reasons you may want to reconsider putting the pedal to the metal—before it’s too late.
Reckless driving habits such as speeding and aggressive acceleration and braking use more fuel. It’s that simple. It can lower your vehicle’s miles per gallon by about 15% to 30% at highway speeds. Around town, where you’re most likely to be in fuel-guzzling stop-and-go traffic, your miles per gallon could take a hit of 10% to 40%. Think of it this way: For every 5 mph you drive over 50, it’s like paying an extra 24 cents per gallon for gas (based on fuel cost of $3.39/gallon). So ease up a bit and enjoy the savings.
You may be speeding to get to your destination faster, but if you get a ticket, you could find yourself spending lots of time dealing with the consequences. The time you spend waiting for your traffic ticket ultimately slows you down anyway. Also, depending on how fast you were driving—and where—you could face a court date and be required to attend traffic school.
Speeding tickets can cost several hundred dollars—and those numbers could double if the police catch you speeding in a school zone or construction area. Plus, your insurance company could boost your premium or even cancel your auto policy outright if you have too many violations.
Pedestrian safety should always be top of mind when you’re driving through areas where people are on foot: There’s no barrier between them and a speeding car. In 2019, 6,205 pedestrians died in crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Need more proof of how speeding is a deadly force? A person is about 90% more likely to be killed if struck by a vehicle traveling at 58 mph versus 25% at 32 mph, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
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If you have young drivers in the family, especially teens, they’re easily influenced by your driving habits—the bad as well as the good. If you speed frequently, they may think it’s OK to do the same, and that could be fatal for them or someone else. Slow down and teach your teens safe driving habits.
Make safety a priority and adopt these 10 driving habits.