Statistics provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety reveal that in 2011, 13,123 accidents were caused by drivers traveling at unsafe speeds. As a result of these accidents, there were 115 fatalities, 4,778 injuries, and 8,230 property damages which occurred.
Additional statistics show that speeding driver accidents are the third leading factor of all traffic crashes in the United States. Speeding is extremely dangerous, yet Ohio citizens continue to speed no matter if they are aware of the repercussions or not. As many other leading fatality factors continue to decrease, speeding has still remained a challenging area for police and other law forces to monitor.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an automobile accident by someone that was speeding, our attorneys believe that the at fault party should be held accountable for their negligent actions and pay for the losses and damages that they have caused.
Causes Of Speeding Driver Accidents
The speed limit was put in place to keep our citizens safe, however many people may not realize that the speed limit was originally introduced due to concerns about fuel economy. As innovations in automobiles allowed for them to travel faster and faster, more fuel was being consumed, thus a speed limit would allow for the conservation of overall fuel.
A few reasons individuals may speed include:
- Competitive response
- Reckless drivers unaware of speed
- Motorists are in a hurry
- No one is around
- Drivers don’t think the rules apply to them
- Racing other cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a report by installing GPS systems in 164 volunteers cars. The GPS would compare the posted speed limit and the speed limit that was being driven. The drivers were then categorized into four types.
The types of drivers are as follows:
- Type 1 Driver attempted to stay below the speed limit, occasionally exceeding it
- Type 2 Driver did not care about posted speed, yet avoided getting ticketed
- Type 3 Driver occasionally drove unsafe, sometimes risked getting ticketed
- Type 4 Driver disregarded speed limit, which would be considered unsafe
The results proved that there were not many type 4 drivers, while the type 1 and 2 drivers were the most common. Our attorneys believe that no matter what the rush, there is no reason to exceed the speed limit and put others on the roadways in danger.
Injuries Caused By Speeding
More than half of all speeding driver accidents were a result of drivers driving too fast for the weather conditions. This clearly demonstrates how many negligent individuals are traveling on our roadways who do not account for the harm they could cause on other individuals. These negligent individuals traveling at excessive speeds are responsible for nine fatalities and 101 injuries to Ohio residence in 2011.
Some common injuries caused by speeding include:
- Back and neck injuries
- Burn injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
- Lacerations
- Loss of limb
- Rib and torso injuries
- Seat belt injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash injuries
- Wrist injuries
As Ohio residence, we can do our best to avoid these types of accidents by remaining alert at all times, abiding by all traffic laws, and being defensive drivers. Unfortunately, maintaining safe driving habits will not always protect us from these negligent individuals. If you have been injured in an automobile accident of any kind, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. Plus, the documents will help attorneys formulate a strong case in the court of law.
Need Help? Contact Our Experienced Attorneys Today
At O’Connor, Acciani & Levy, our personal injury attorneys are proud to represent the injured and help them win justice in the court of law. If you or someone you love has been injured due to the negligence of another individual speeding, the injured victim may be eligible to receive compensation for their losses and damage, therefore it is necessary to seek the legal guidance of an experienced Cincinnati auto accident lawyer.
With headquarters in Cincinnati and Columbus, we are able to serve the entire state of Ohio.
For more information about how our injury attorneys can help you win justice in your time of need, or to schedule a free no-obligation consultation, we welcome you to contact our firm at (877) 288-3241 and a member of our intake staff will gather the information for your collision and quickly refer you to one of our helpful lawyers.
In addition, our lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we will not charge you for our services unless we recover for you.