You missed your alarm clock and now you’re running late to a meeting with the boss; you figure you’ll save a few minutes by speeding. How could an extra 10 MPH hurt anything?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the probability of death, disfigurement, or debilitating injury grows with higher speed at impact. Such consequences double for every 10 mph over 50 mph that a vehicle travels. Why take the risk?
Posted speed limits are in place for one reason: safety; the safety of you, your passengers and others on the roadway. In 2017, the S.C. Department of Public Safety noted there was one traffic collision every 3.7 minutes; with 17,453 people being injured in collisions caused by exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions. Injuries and fatalities also increase within work zones and during inclement weather.
Not only is speeding unsafe, it wastes fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that aggressive driving—speeding, excessive braking and quickly accelerating—can lower your gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.
Our Traffic Division conducts extra patrols throughout the county on a weekly basis. Areas selected are typically those with a higher percentage of citizen inquiry and safety concerns. Deputies are looking for reckless drivers, those not wearing seat belts or obeying speed limits. If you’re caught and ticketed, you’re guilty of a misdemeanor (SC Law §56-5-1520) and could face fines or jail time. There is no such thing as a ‘buffer zone’ for speeding.
If the thought of a speeding ticket isn’t consequence enough, think about the lives you would be impacting if you got into a wreck. It’s just not worth it.