Hancock County Sugar Creek Speeding

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Hancock County Sugar Creek Speeding Lawyer

In the United States, speeding is one of the leading factors involved in traffic accidents. The NHTSA estimates that the economic consequence of these accidents is roughly $40.4 billion. On today´s road, speeding drivers are almost unavoidable. Every year, speeding is a major factor in the total percentage of fatal accidents. Approximately 30 percent of all fatal crashes are the result of someone speeding. An estimated 15,000 lives are lost in speeding-related crashes each year. At The Law Offices of Tony Zirkle, in Hancock County of  Sugar Creek, Indiana, our lawyer work diligently to prove a speeding driver´s negligence. It is important to us that our clients receive the maximum reward possible under the law.

In Indiana, the law requires that all motorists drive at a speed that is reasonable or prudent. IC 9-21-5-1 Any speed in excess of the following speeds is evidence of unreasonable driving:

• 15 mph in an alley.

• 30 mph in a business or residential district.

• 55 mph in other locations, unless the director of highway traffic states other wise. IC 9-21-5-2

For Americans, driving is an expensive endeavor. Not only do citizens pay out of pocket for personal expenses such as gas and vehicle repairs, but they also pay a hefty amount as a result of motor vehicle accidents every year. Generally speaking, car crashes increase society´s expenses by an estimated $7,300 per second. In total, the economic cost of crashes every year is estimated to be an astronomical $230 billion. In 2005, the portion of which was the result of speeding was estimated to be $40.4 billion -- $76,865 per minute or $1,281 per second.

The effects of speeding on a person´s vehicle are immediately noticeable. While speeding, a person reduces the ability to safely steer the vehicle in the proper direction, greatly lengthens the amount of time it takes to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, and decreases the amount of time a driver has to react to the ever changing dynamics of the road. Because of these factors, the act of speeding is typically viewed as negligent. This means that when a driver is speeding, he or she is not acting reasonable under the circumstances.

Unfortunately, speeding also seems to go hand in hand with drinking and driving. Every year, roughly 25 percent of the speeding drivers under 21 years old who are involved in fatal crashes are also intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 (grams per deciliter [g/dl]) or greater. This figure is in stark contrast to the mere 11 percent of the nonspeeding drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes who are intoxicated. For slightly older drivers, those between 21 and 24 years of age, who are involved in fatal crashes, 50 percent who are speeding at the time of the accident are also intoxicated. This is compared with only 25 percent of drivers who are intoxicated but not speeding. The statistics clearly indicate that alcohol and speeding are often combined to create a deadly combination.

Even though speeding is one of the leading causes of car accidents in the U.S., the proportion of speeding-related accidents to all other accidents is not the same across all age groups. With regard to fatal accidents, young males happen to be the most likely to be speeding at the time of the accident. In fact, 2005 statistics show that 38 percent of males ages 15 to 20 that were involved in a fatal accident were speeding at the time the accident occurred. In general, across the rest of the population, as a driver´s age increases, the likelihood that they are speeding at the time of an accident decreases.

In addition to age, the type of vehicle a person drives also tends to influence the likelihood that a person is speeding when involved in an accident. In 2005, 34 percent of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passenger car drivers, 18 percent for light-truck drivers, and 7 percent for large-truck drivers.

The proportion of drivers not using seat belts also increases in those that speed. Every year, roughly 50 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers under 21 years old involved in fatal crashes are wearing safety belts at the time of the crash. This statistic stands in contrast to the 67 percent of drivers in the same age group, restrained, who are not speeding.

The above is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney who is familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a particular, specific case and the relevant law.