Exceeding the speed limit or going too fast for conditions is a factor in about one-third of all fatal vehicle crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says:
* Speeding reduces the amount of time available to avoid a crash.
* It increases the likelihood of crashing.
* It increases the severity of a crash when one occurs.
The NHTSA estimates that about 40,000 people per year suffer serious injuries as a result of speeding and about 665,000 have minor to moderate injuries in speeding crashes.
Running red lights is another big factor in vehicle crashes. It kills about 800 people per year in the U.S., most of whom were pedestrians or occupants of cars hit by the one running the light. And they cause about 200,000 serious injuries per year.