IN A HURRY… TO DIE?
Posted on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 @ 03:07 PM
Speeding is the #1 cause of accidents in the United States. It is the cause most often cited by investigators when the cause of an accident can be determined. Speeding is also the leading factor contributing to the severity of accidents. Vehicles going faster cause more damage (and more injuries and fatalities) than vehicles traveling slower. It’s simple physics. It’s undeniable. It’s common sense.
Many folks would like you to believe that speeding is a ‘victimless crime’. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Speeders put everyone else on the road at greater risk… including their own passengers.
Consider the ‘soccer mom’ speeding to get junior to soccer practice. She places everyone on the road as well as her own child at risk to avoid being late. How ridiculous would that sound following an accident in which junior or someone else is killed? Speeding is not the answer to today’s hectic world.
Too many people today simply don’t leave home in time to get to work without speeding… not just occasionally… but every day. Speeding is now the norm and there is no excuse for it. It places everyone on the road at greater risk.
Speeding vehicles travel further in the time it takes the driver to recognize that a hazard exists. [Recognition is the first part of avoiding a hazard. Couple speeding with driving distracted and the consequences are multi-fold.] Speeding vehicles travel further in the time it takes drivers to react to a recognized hazard. And finally, speeding vehicles travel further after the brakes are applied than vehicles driving slower.
So tell me again, what’s your excuse for speeding? What’s your excuse for putting my life at risk? What’s your excuse for putting your family at risk? A few minutes late for work? Soccer practice? An appointment? A load? Speeding is not a victimless crime. There is no excuse that doesn’t ring hollow after the crash has occurred. A crash that could have been avoided but for the excessive speed you were traveling. There are no words to console the family of the person injured or killed as a result of your excessive speed. Your own child?
Slow down and live. Hurry up and die. Your choice.
Written by: Kevin Mullen; Director- Safety, Human Resources & Recruiting