This week is Operation Safe Driver Week throughout North America. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CSVA) has designated July 9 - 15, as a time when law enforcement across the continent will focus on specific unsafe driving behaviors in both commercial and passenger vehicles.
There is a wide range of driving actions that can be considered unsafe. A prime example nowadays would be using a cell phone or another handheld device while driving. Making an improper lane change, or being overly aggressive in passing and executing lane changes. In the summer months, when the highways are filled with travelers, it’s all too common for drivers to become impatient and take unsafe actions.
The CSVA selected speeding as the unsafe action to educate and raise awareness about during the 2023 Operation Safe Driver Week.
What makes speeding so dangerous?
Studies have shown that speeding beyond the posted speed limit has the following effects:
- Exponentially increases the length required to stop
- Reduces the driver’s control of the vehicle, including steering
- Heightens the risk of a rollover accident
- Lowers the effectiveness of safety devices in the vehicle, such as seat belts and airbags
- Increases the impact and severity of the crash
- Heightens the risk of catastrophic injury and death in the event of a collision
Our Responsibility to Drive Safely
Speeding is the sole contributing factor in about 30% of all deadly car crashes in any given year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When a driver goes too fast, reaction time is shortened and collisions can be more severe.
Negligence is a key factor in personal injury cases. Pennsylvania has laws in place to protect victims of negligence. Under these laws, an injury victim has the right to pursue compensation for compensatory, punitive, and nominal damages. These may include medical expenses, property damage, time away from work, emotional pain and suffering, and acts of gross negligence.
It is important to understand that while negligence can be broadly defined, there are certain exceptions involved in some cases. A car accident may involve multiple at-fault parties. If you were also distracted while driving, you could be held partially responsible for an accident involving a driver who was texting. Comparative negligence will determine if you can pursue damages or not.
Speeding is a form of aggressive driving, and it is usually accompanied by other aggressive, reckless, or negligent driving behaviors, thus increasing the risk of an accident.
Drivers who speed cause accidents and should be held accountable for their recklessness and the injuries or fatalities they cause. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a speeding driver, you have rights.
Please contact Metzger Wickersham to request a complimentary, risk-free consultation to discuss your rights and the personal injury claims process.
At Metzger Wickersham, our Pennsylvania speeding car accident attorneys look at all applicable factors when building your case. We know how to obtain concrete evidence to prove the other driver’s negligence and liability, and we utilize this to aggressively pursue the maximum compensation our clients are owed.
Let us fight on your behalf! Contact Metzger Wickersham at (888) 286-2850 or contact us online today to set up a free initial consultation.