When drivers are speeding, they may feel like they are in complete control of the car, so there is no additional danger to anyone on the roads, including themselves. However, this is not usually the case.
Multiple studies have shown that speeding is one of the most common reasons serious accidents occur, causing tens of thousands of injuries every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 9,378 people died on American roadways in crashes in 2018 where one of the drivers was shown to be speeding.
If you suffered injuries in a crash because the other driver was speeding, this act of negligence on the part of the other driver is a piece of evidence that may help you prove your personal injury claim. Turn to an Alpharetta exceeding posted speed limit accident lawyer from Bader Scott Injury Lawyers for help. Call us at (404) 888-8888 for a free case review today.
Dangers of Driving Over the Speed Limit
There is a reason why traffic control authorities set speed limits on certain types of roads throughout Fulton County.
Roads where there are multiple intersections and driveways, or where pedestrians may be walking near the road, need to have slower speed limits. Roads where there are limited areas for cars to enter and exit the roadway, and where these entry points are highly controlled, can carry higher speed limits safely.
Negative Results of Speeding
Some of the problems speeding drivers create on the roads include:
- Loss of control: where a speeding driver will have a harder time swerving to avoid a hazard in the road, and if they do swerve, they have a greater chance of losing control of the car than someone who is going slower.
- Difficulty in braking: where a driver who is exceeding the speed limit may not be able to stop in time for a changing stoplight or for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- Greater force in accidents: where a speeding driver who is involved in a crash could cause greater injuries for himself or herself, as well as for those in the other car.
- Mistakes by other drivers: where, if a speeding driver is weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway, other drivers could make a mistake while trying to get out of the speeder’s way, leading to a subsequent traffic accident.
When police officers investigate an accident where you were struck, they are able to piece together the evidence from the crash scene to determine how fast the cars were traveling. If this information shows that the driver who hit you was likely traveling above the posted speed limit, officers may choose to issue a traffic violation to that driver.
Your Alpharetta exceeding posted speed limit accident lawyer can use this piece of information in your personal injury lawsuit, as a speeding ticket is a clear piece of evidence in proving that the other driver was behaving negligently. Call Bader Scott Injury Lawyers today at (404) 888-8888 for a free consultation.
For a free legal consultation with a exceeding posted speed limit accidents lawyer serving Alpharetta, call (404) 888-8888
Why Drivers Choose to Exceed Speed Limits
Speeding drivers may attempt to justify their actions with several excuses, but those excuses do not matter when the speeding driver causes a car accident where injuries or fatalities occur. If the crash results in a personal injury claim, no explanation is going to get the speeding driver who caused the crash off the hook for his or her liability.
Some of the reasons people choose to speed and violate local speed limit laws include:
- Age and sex: where the NHTSA found that in 2018, young males aged 15 to 34 were far more likely to have been speeding before a fatal accident than older males or females.
- Running late: where someone who is late for work may choose to speed to try to make up for lost time.
- Frustration: where, after a driver is stuck in a traffic jam for a long time, he or she may choose to speed once traffic lightens, simply because of frustration at the situation.
- Distracted driving: where a driver looking at a smartphone screen may not realize how fast the car is going, because he or she is not looking at the speedometer.
A driver who is going 55 mph and looks at their phone for 5 seconds will travel 100 yards, according to NHTSA.
Alpharetta Exceeding Posted Speed Limit Accident Lawyer Near Me (404) 888-8888
Maximum Speed Limits on Roadways in Georgia are Set by Law
The state of Georgia provides guidelines for the speed limit on roadways in O.C.G.A. §40-6-181. Local authorities could make adjustments to those guidelines as needed, but they can only adjust the speed limit lower, not higher.
Local traffic authorities and engineers will study the amount of traffic on local roads, as well as the entry points and intersections along the road, before choosing whether to lower the speed limit versus the state guidelines.
Once the speed limit is set lower, they will study accident statistics over time to determine whether a particular road needs an even slower speed limit to help with traffic safety, or whether a certain road’s speed limit could be increased back to the state guidelines because of a lack of accidents.
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Let an Exceeding Posted Speed Limit Accident Attorney Pursue Compensation on Your Behalf
At Bader Scott Injury Lawyers, we take pride in our work to defend the rights of victims in car accidents. You did not do anything wrong, as the other driver caused the crash by driving above the speed limit, resulting in the injuries you have suffered. You should not have to pay your own medical bills and other damages in a case like this.
Even if the insurance company representing the other driver is balking at paying you a settlement amount that truly reflects the injuries you have suffered and the long term health problems you are facing, you should not give up. An Alpharetta exceeding posted speed limit accident lawyer can work on your behalf, showing the insurer how the facts in the case support your claim.
Learn more during a free consultation by contacting us today at (404) 888-8888.
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