The Correlation between Auto Accidents and Speeding
If you have ever gotten a speeding ticket, you probably spent several days railing at the injustice of the world - or at least the injustice of our legal system. You may even have thought, “Everyone else speeds! Why was I the one that got caught? I wasn’t doing any harm.” While such thoughts may be common, they are not well founded. As your Orange County personal injury attorneys know, there is a strong correlation between auto accidents and speeding. By representing clients who have been injured in such accidents, they hope to get them the financial compensation they deserve and to bring public attention to the dangers of speeding.
Does Speeding Really Cause Accidents?
Many drivers who regularly go over the speed limit assume that their speed is not an issue and that they are in complete control of their vehicles. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. According to the National Highway Transportation Association, in 2002, one-third of all accident fatalities were speed related. Surprisingly, most of them did not occur on busy, high-speed highways but on rural roads. Approximately 40 percent of all speed-related accidents occur on a curve. It seems that speeding drivers do not have such great control of their vehicles after all.
Why Is Speeding Such a Problem?
According to traffic experts, speeding continues to be a problem for both personal and legislative reasons. Several surveys have shown that, although people view other drivers’ speeding as a threat to their own safety, they do not see their own high speed as a danger. Further, according to Focus on Safety: A Practical Guide to Automated Traffic Enforcement, drivers continue to speed for a number of reasons:
- They are not paying attention
- They are rushed
- They do not take traffic laws seriously
- They do not think they will get caught
Although individual drivers are ultimately responsible for speed-related accidents, with more aggressive traffic laws, these tragedies might drastically decrease. Speed limits often vary wildly, not only from state-to-state but even within a single state or city. Additionally, according to recent surveys, traffic enforcement officials are becoming more lax about speeding. Although they are still likely to go after someone who is racing down the interstate, they are very likely to ignore drivers going 10 to 15 mph too fast.
What Should You Do If You Have Been Injured in an Auto Accident?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a speeding-related accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Auto accident lawyer Sean M. Burke will conduct an extensive investigation of your case to prove negligence or recklessness on the part of the defendant. If necessary, he will interview witnesses, review police records, and use accident reconstruction experts to determine exactly what happened. Through aggressive representation, he will work diligently to get you the money you deserve. He also hopes that his work will make more people aware of the very real dangers of speeding.
Contact Attorney Burke
To determine whether you are eligible for financial compensation following an auto accident, contact the Law Offices of Sean M. Burke for a personal case evaluation.