Traffic Safety Facts 1996: Speeding

008809721997PDFTech ReportFatalitiesTraffic crashesSpeedingCrash causesStatisticsGraphsTables (Data)Accident related costsEconomic costsSpeed-related crashesUnited StatesNational Center for Statistics and Analysis (U.S.)National Center for Statistics and Analysis (U.S.)United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Highway SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-AccidentsNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Human FactorsNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Speed LimitsNTL-REFERENCES AND DIRECTORIES-StatisticsUS Transportation CollectionSpeeding - exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions - is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. In 1996, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, and 12,998 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be $28.8 billion per year. Figure 1. shows fatal crashes by speeding status, 1986-1996; Figure 2., speeding drivers in fatal crashes by age and sex, 1996; Figure 3., percentage of all drivers involved in fatal crashes that were speeding, by BAC Level, 1996; Figure 4., drivers in fatal crashes by alcohol involvement, speeding status, and time of day, 1996; Figure 5., percentages of fatalities related to speeding and to alcohol, 1986-1996; Figure 6., speeding, alcohol involvement, and failure to use restraints among drivers involved in fatal crashes by vehicle type, 1996; and Figure 7., speeding-related fatalities by road type, 1996.. Of the tables, Table 1. shows estimated annual economic costs of speeding-related crashes (1994 dollars per year); and Table 2., speeding-related traffic fatalities and costs by road type and speed limit, 1996.90