You do everything right while driving on Texas roads. You keep your car in tip-top shape. You observe all traffic laws. You wear your seat belts and make sure all passengers are properly restrained. Still, it just takes one encounter with a driver who is speeding to turn your world upside down.
The National Safety Council reports that speeding played a role in 26% of all fatal crashes in 2018. In all, 9.378 people died on the roads in the United States that year because of speeding. That’s an average of more than 25 people per day.
A crash is rated as “speeding-related” if the driver was traveling faster than the posted speed limit, racing, going too fast for the road conditions or was otherwise charged with a speeding-related offense.
Speeding can lead to reduced vehicle control, decreased effectiveness of vehicle safety equipment, more severe injuries and lack of time for others to stop their cars. Driving too fast affects more than the speeding driver. In fact, it puts everyone sharing the road – other drivers, bike riders and pedestrians – at risk. Should you encounter a speeding driver on the road, you should:
- Move over and let a speeding driver pass
- Stay clear of speeding drivers since they could lose control of their vehicles
- Call the police if you think another driving is driving too aggressively, such as tailgating, and continues to do so after you have taken action to try to get out of the way
Anyone injured by the acts of a negligent driver, which would include speeding, has a right to seek compensation for medical bills and their injuries.
