Throughout Missouri and the rest of the U.S., speeding accounts for nearly one-third of all traffic deaths. Since speeding does not have the cultural stigma that DUI or driving without a seat belt has, it is often seen as acceptable and continues to pose a threat, especially to pedestrians and bicyclists. That’s why the Governors Highway Safety Association has released a report recommending ways to tackle the challenge.
Stricter law enforcement and better education are especially important. The report also recommends that safer driving environments be engineered. In particular, roundabouts and other traffic-calming structures could be helpful. The GHSA’s State Highway Safety Offices are in a unique position within the state governments to spearhead such efforts.
The GHSA will additionally be developing a speed reduction program. With this end in view, the association is partnering with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and holding a forum with a range of stakeholders. The GHSA believes that more attention should be paid to rural and suburban areas.
Rural areas see more speeding-related deaths than urban roads. In 2016 alone, more than 5,000 deaths occurred due to speeding-related accidents on rural roadways. There is a safety project called Vision Zero that envisions zero roadway fatalities in the future. While it is currently focused on urban areas, its concept and principles can be applied to other regions as well.
So long as accidents occur, however, there will always be innocent people harmed. A crash victim could file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company. A lawyer could help with the effort by hiring experts to gather proof against the defendant and by negotiating on the victim’s behalf for a settlement. Legal counsel could also prepare for litigation if necessary.
