Many drivers consider the speed limit to be one of those rules that it’s fine to break. They may not even think of things like driving 60 miles per hour in a 55-MPH zone as speeding in the first place. That’s just how they drive and how they assume everyone drives.
But speed limits exist for a reason. The most obvious reason not to break them is to avoid a ticket, but that is just the beginning. Let’s look at a few of the most important reasons to obey speed limits:
Reducing your risks on the road
Following the speed limit helps you lower the odds of an accident and reduce your risks. It does this because speeding, especially to a reckless degree, can:
- Reduce your field of vision. This is most pronounced in your peripheral vision, where you may miss a lot at a high speed.
- Make you more likely to lose control. Perhaps the greatest danger is when you suddenly enter a corner going faster than the road design allows.
- Reduce your reaction times. Reaction times shrink with speed and distance. If you’re driving quickly and you see a hazard, the difference between two or three seconds in reaction time could be the difference between crashing or stopping.
- Cause you to drive aggressively. When you speed, you often catch up to traffic ahead. This can lead to aggressive swerving between lanes, dangerous passes and tailgating.
You can see why it’s important to follow the speed limits, but the others around you may not be nearly as safe. If you get catastrophically injured in an accident with a speeding driver, be sure you know how to seek compensation.