There may be a variety of reasons why drivers speed, whether this involves a disregard for safety or a desire to catch up on lost time. However, even if you are behind on schedule, there is no guarantee that such behavior will help you reach your destination any faster, and sometimes it could even place you further behind.
Driving at excessive speeds may not only place you at risk of receiving a citation during a traffic stop, but it could also increase your chances of being involved in a collision. Addressing the hazards involved with such behavior could help you prepare to form safer driving habits, but what happens when others fail to do the same?
The impact
Excessive speeding is a type of negligent behavior that remains a contributing factor in far too many collisions. Some examples of reasons why speeding can be so hazardous may include:
- Lower response times: Studies indicate that speeding is a type of behavior that can diminish driver response times, and the ability to respond to situations that arise is a vital aspect of safe driving.
- Driver control: The presence of speeding can also diminish a vehicle’s maneuverability, and such behavior may leave a driver at greater risk of losing control and creating a hazardous scenario.
- Stopping distances: Stopping distances also increase substantially with speed, and the faster a vehicle travels, the more difficult it can be for a driver to react to changes in traffic patterns.
- Outcome of a crash: While any type of crash may have the potential to end in disaster, the presence of speeding may only increase the impact and potential severity of a collision.
Even if you choose to avoid engaging in such behavior, should you encounter a speeding driver on Oregon roads, you might not always find it possible to respond in time to avoid a hazardous situation.
Actions of a speeding driver
Should the actions of a speeding driver create a dangerous situation, the fallout of an ensuing collision could have a lasting impact on your life. Incidents involving such negligence could run a greater risk of leaving you with severe or life-changing injuries and facing a host of financial hardships. Although there might be little to nothing you can do to avoid such hazards at times, there may be certain options to help protect your future interests should the unimaginable occur.
