Speeding is a major cause of injuries and deaths on North Carolina roadways. Consider these 2020 statistics:
- There were 416 speed-related deaths and 18,332 speed-related crashes.
- Speeding was a contributing factor in 25 percent of all fatal crashes.
- 91 percent of speed-related fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads; 9 percent occurred on interstate highways.
- From 2016 to 2020, males made up the largest percentage (75 percent) of speed related crash fatalities.
- From 2019 to 2020 there was an 11 percent increase in speed related crash fatalities.
- From 2016 to 2020, 27 percent of speed related crash fatalities occurred in the Top 5 Counties (Mecklenburg, Guilford, Wake, Cumberland and Robeson)
The Governor's Highway Safety Program's Speed a Little. Lose a Lot. annual campaign reminds drivers of the dangers of speeding and the potential consequences: the loss of a life.
Dangers of Speeding
A crash on a road with a speed limit of 65 mph or higher is more than twice as likely to result in a fatality as a crash where the speed limit it 45 or 50 mph, and nearly five times as likely as a crash where the speed limit is below 40 mph.
Speeding:
- Reduces a driver's ability to negotiate curves or maneuver around obstacles in the roadway
- Extends the distance traveled before a vehicle can stop
- Increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a hazard
- Increases the risk of crashes and injuries, because other vehicles and pedestrians might not be able to judge distance correctly