Speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths and injuries. The role of speeding in crashes is described in terms of its effect on the driver, the vehicle, and the road. Excessive speeding reduces the amount of time the driver has to react in a dangerous situation to avoid a crash, increases vehicle stopping distance, and reduces the ability of road safety structures (such as guardrails, impact attenuators, crash cushions, median dividers, and concrete barriers) to protect vehicle occupants in a crash.

Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021, killing 12,330, or an average of over 33 people per day. The total number of fatal motor-vehicle crashes attributable to speeding was 11,057. A crash is considered speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense or if racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was indicated as a contributing factor in the crash.

2021 is the third consecutive year with an increase of speeding-related deaths. In addition, the percent of deaths involving speeding (29%) is above the historic low set in 2019 when 26% of deaths involved speeding.  Speeding-related deaths increased 7.9% from 2020 and were the most deaths recorded since 2007.

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The proportion of speeding-related crashes to all fatal crashes in 2021 decreased as the age of the driver increased. The proportion of female drivers who were speeding is smaller than male drivers across all age groups. Young male drivers in the 15-20 and 21-24 year age groups were the most likely to be speeding at the time of fatal crashes. In 2021, at least 31% of male drivers in these age groups  that were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash, compared to 19% of female drivers in these two youngest age groups.

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Speeding becomes an increasingly important factor for drivers involved in fatal crashes as roadway surface conditions deteriorate. In 2021, speeding was a factor in fatal crashes for:

  • 18% of drivers on dry roads
  • 22% on wet roads
  • 32% on roads with snow or slush
  • 33% on roads with ice or frost
  • 38% on roads with moving or standing water
  • 43% on roads with mud, dirt, or gravel

One of the reasons a driver may be cited by police for speeding is for “driving too fast for conditions.” While driving at the posted speed limit on a dry road may be considered safe, driving at that same speed when the road is wet or covered with snow or ice may be considered unsafe or “too fast for conditions.”

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Speeding and alcohol impairment often coincide; this varies with driver age. While 24% of speeding drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes are alcohol impaired (BAC = 0.08+ g/dL), 40% or more in the 21 to 54 age groups are impaired. The percent of alcohol-impaired drivers falls sharply to 33% among 55-64-year-old drivers and continues to decline as the driver age increases.

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Source: National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data.

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