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Resist the need to speed

Brent Jennings
Highway Safety Manager
We all have places to go and I don't know about you, but sometimes I find myself running a bit late. As a result, the impulse to drive faster takes over and I find myself starting to speed.

Recently the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior in which nearly half of drivers surveyed say speeding is a problem on our nation's roads, and one in five drivers surveyed admitted, "I try to get where I am going as fast as I can." Speeding-related deaths nationwide account for nearly a third of all traffic fatalities each year, taking close to 10,000 lives.

The survey results show a broad range of perspectives among drivers. The majority of drivers, about four out of five, believed driving at or near the speed limit makes it easier to avoid dangerous situations and reduces the chances of a crash. An overwhelming majority, 91 percent, agreed with the statement that "everyone should obey the speed limits because it's the law." Almost half of all drivers, 48 percent, said that it was very important that something needs to be done to reduce speeding on U.S. roads.

However, despite acknowledging the safety benefits of speed limits and reasons drivers should follow them, more than a quarter of those surveyed admitted "speeding is something I do without thinking" and "I enjoy the feeling of driving fast." Further, sixteen percent felt that "driving over the speed limit is not dangerous for skilled drivers."

Of those surveyed, male drivers admitted to speeding more compared to females based on responses to behavior questions. Also, drivers with the least experience behind the wheel, 16-20 years old, admitted to speeding more frequently than any other age group. More than one in ten, 11 percent, of drivers age 16 to 20 reported at least one speeding-related crash in the past five years, compared to 4 percent for the population as a whole. The percentage of drivers in speeding-related crashes in this age group is greater than in any other age group, even though these young drivers may not have been driving for all of the past five years.

To encourage safe driving practices among teens, Idaho continues to expand the Alive at 25 program. Parents can also play a significant role in the culture of safe driving by discussing five critical driving practices with their teenage drivers. These driving practices are: No speeding, no cell phone use or texting while driving; no extra passengers; no alcohol, and; no driving or riding without a seat belt.

The Idaho Office of Highway Safety works closely with our highway safety partners on all aspects of traffic safety including speed management. This includes encouraging the proper establishment of speed limits, establishing speeding policies, enforcing laws and increasing public awareness through education of the risks of excessive speed.

We all have places we need to go and a schedule to keep, but it's never the right decision to put ourselves, our families and others in harm's way to get there faster.

Brent Jennings
Highway Safety Manager