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DOT HS 809 7 71
Speeding
Traffi c Safety Facts
2003 Data
“The economic cost
of speeding-related
crashes is estimated
to be $40.4 billion
each year.”
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 30, Number of Fatal Crashes 15, 10, 5, 0 Not Speeding Speeding 25, 20,
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was charged with a
speeding-related offense or if an officer indicated that racing, driving too fast for
conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the
crash.
Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The
economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be
$40.4 billion per year. In 2003, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of
all fatal crashes, and 13,380 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes.
Motor vehicle crashes cost society an estimated $7,300 per second. The total
economic cost of crashes was estimated at $230.6 billion in 2000. The 2000 costs of
speeding-related crashes were estimated to be $40.4 billion — $76,865 per minute
or $1,281 per second.
Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in
the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the
distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation.
Figure 1 Fatal Crashes by Speeding Status, 1993-
“In 2003, 39 percent
of male drivers 15 to
20 years old involved
in fatal crashes were
speeding.”
For drivers involved in fatal crashes, young males are the most likely to be
speeding. The relative proportion of speeding-related crashes to all crashes
decreases with increasing driver age. In 2003, 39 percent of the male drivers
15 to 20 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time
of the crash.
Figure 2 Speeding Drivers in Fatal Crashes by Age and Sex, 2003 25 30 35 40 20 15 10 0 21- Percent Speeding 15-20 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ Age Group (Years) Females Males 5
Alcohol and speeding are clearly a deadly combination. Alcohol involvement is
prevalent for drivers involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2003, 41 percent of
the drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter
(g/dl) or higher involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with only 14
percent of the drivers with BAC 0.00 involved in fatal crashes.
Alcohol and speeding seem to go hand in hand. In 2003, 28 percent of the speed-
ing drivers under 21 years old who were involved in fatal crashes also had a BAC
of 0.08 g/dl or higher. In contrast, only 13 percent of the nonspeeding drivers un-
der age 21 involved in fatal crashes in 2003 had a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher.
For drivers between 21 and 24 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in
2003, 50 percent of speeding drivers had a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher, compared
with only 24 percent of nonspeeding drivers.
“Speeding involvement
for motorcyclists in
fatal crashes was
about twice the rate
for drivers of passenger
cars or light trucks.”
Figure 5 Percentages of Fatalities Related to Speeding and to Alcohol, 1993- 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 50 Percent 20 10 0 Alcohol-Related Speeding-Related 40 30 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Total Fatality Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
In 2003, 36 percent of all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were speeding,
approximately twice the rate for drivers of passenger cars or light trucks. The
percentage of alcohol involvement was 40 percent higher for motorcyclists than
for drivers of passenger vehicles.
Figure 6 Speeding, Alcohol Involvement, and Failure To Use Restraints Among Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes by Vehicle Type, 2003 40 30 20 10 0 Percentage of Involved Drivers Total Speeding Total Alcohol Total No Restraints Speeding and Alcohol Speeding, Alcohol, and No Restraints 50 Passenger Cars Light Trucks Motorcycles Large Trucks
In 2003, only 46 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers under 21 years old
who were involved in fatal crashes were wearing safety belts at the time of the
crash. In contrast, 67 percent of nonspeeding drivers in the same age group were
restrained. For drivers 21 years and older, the percentage of speeding drivers
involved in fatal crashes who were using restraints at the time of the crash was
43 percent, but 71 percent of nonspeeding drivers in fatal crashes
were restrained.
In 2003, 22 percent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes had an
invalid license at the time of the crash, compared with 10 percent of
nonspeeding drivers.
Speeding was a factor in 29 percent of the fatal crashes that occurred on dry
roads in 2003 and in 34 percent of those that occurred on wet roads. Speeding
was a factor in 52 percent of the fatal crashes that occurred when there was snow
or slush on the road and in 58 percent of those that occurred on icy roads.
Speeding was involved in more than one-third (36 percent) of the fatal crashes
that occurred in construction/maintenance zones in 2003.
In 2003, 86 percent of speeding-related fatalities occurred on roads that were not
Interstate highways.
Figure 7 Speeding-Related Fatalities by Road Type, 2003
“Among drivers in
fatal crashes in 2003,
those who were not
speeding were about 65
percent more likely to
be wearing safety belts
than those who were
speeding at the time of
the crash.”
“Only 14 percent
of speeding-related
fatalities occur on
Interstate highways.”
For more information: Information on speeding involvement in traffic fatalities is available from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NPO- 121, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. NCSA information can also be obtained by telephone or by fax-on-demand at 1-800-934-8517. FAX messages should be sent to (202) 366-7078. General information on highway traffic safety can be accessed by Internet users at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa. To report a safety-related problem or to inquire about motor vehicle safety information, contact the DOT Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Other fact sheets available from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis are OverviewOverviewOverview,, Alcohol, Occupant Protection, Older Population, Young Drivers, Children, Pedestrians, Pedalcyclists, Large Trucks, Motorcycles, School Transportation-Related Crashes, State Traffi c Data, and State Alcohol Estimates. Detailed data on motor vehicle traffic crashes are published annually in Traffi c Safety Facts: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. 6, 8, 0 4, 2, Number of Fatalities InterstateInterstate Non-Interstate, Speed Limit Under 55 mphUnder 55 mph Non-Interstate, Speed Limit 55 mph55 mph and Above Unknown Roadway ClassRoadway Class or Unknown Speed Limit
