Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic accidents in the United States. The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by the NHTSA to be $28.0 billion per year. In 1999, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, and 12,628 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. At Philip R. Cockerille, Attorney at Law, we use every means available to prove negligence on the part of a speeding driver in order to obtain the highest monetary reward for our clients. Under Colorado law, all motorists are required to drive at a speed that is reasonable or prudent C.R.S. § 42-4-1101.

Any speed in excess of the following speeds is evidence of unreasonable driving:

• 35 mph in an residential district.
• 25 mph in a business or business district.
• 55 mph in other locations, unless the director of highway traffic states other wise. C.R.S. § 42-4-1101.

In addition, local authorities may set different speed limits, such as for school crossings, which must be strictly obeyed.

Motor vehicle crashes cost society an estimated $4,800 per second. The total economic cost of crashes was estimated at $150.5 billion in 1994. The 1999 costs of speeding-related crashes was estimated to be $28.0 billion - $53,243 per minute or $887 per second. In 1999, 606,000 people received minor injuries in speeding-related crashes. An additional 73,000 people received moderate injuries, and 40,000 received serious to critical injuries in speeding-related crashes (based on methodology from The Economic Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes 1994, NHTSA).

Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation. For drivers involved in fatal crashes, young males are the most likely to be speeding. The relative proportion of speeding-related crashes to all crashes decreases with increasing driver age. In 1999, 36 percent of the male drivers 15 to 20 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash. Further, alcohol and speeding seem to go hand in hand. In 1999, 23 percent of the speeding drivers under 21 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were also intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 (grams per deciliter [g/dl]) or greater. In contrast, only 9 percent of the nonspeeding drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes in 1999 were intoxicated. For drivers between 21 and 24 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 1999, 44 percent of speeding drivers were intoxicated, compared with only 19 percent of nonspeeding drivers. Alcohol and speeding are clearly a deadly combination.

The percentage of speeding involvement in fatal crashes was approximately twice as high for motorcyclists as for drivers of passenger cars or light trucks, and the percentage of alcohol involvement was approximately 50 percent higher for motorcyclists. In 1999, only 39 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers under 21 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were wearing safety belts at the time of the crash. In contrast, 61 percent of nonspeeding drivers in the same age group were restrained. For drivers 21 years and older, the percentage of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes who were using restraints at the time of the crash was 37 percent, but 65 percent of nonspeeding drivers in fatal crashes were restrained.