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slow down to stay safe
Speeding may seem like a shortcut, but it comes with serious consequences—higher costs, increased risks, and lives at stake. Learn how to protect yourself, your passengers, and others on the road.
Speed was a factor in almost 30% of all crash fatalities in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And surprisingly, findings from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2022 Traffic Safety Culture Index indicate that the American public does not perceive speeding to be as dangerous as other risky driving behaviors.
Further, speeding emerged as the most common risky driving behavior respondents engaged in, and for a large segment of the population, speeding is the only risky behavior undertaken. Few consider that in addition to endangering oneself and others, there are multiple ways that speeding can have a negative impact on safety, finances and everyday life.
Vehicles are designed to be most fuel-efficient at moderate speeds, which is why reckless driving habits such as speeding, aggressive acceleration and hard braking burn more fuel. On the highway, speeding can lower your vehicle’s miles per gallon by about 15% to 30%. And around town, where you’re most likely to be in fuel-guzzling stop-and-go traffic, your miles per gallon could take a hit of 10% to 40%.
Think of it this way: For every 5 mph you drive over 50, it’s like paying an extra 24 cents per gallon for gas (based on fuel cost of $3.39/gallon).
In addition to fuel loss, speeding puts additional stress on your brakes, tires and engine. This can lead to more frequent repairs and maintenance, increasing the overall cost of vehicle ownership. So, ease up a bit and protect your wallet as well as the life of your car.
Whether running late for an appointment or just feeling the pressure of the daily commute, the temptation to press a little harder on the accelerator is common. The logic seems simple: Going faster means arriving sooner. But does pushing past the speed limit save a significant amount of time? When you look at the numbers, the answer might surprise you.
For most daily drives, speeding shaves off mere minutes, if not seconds, from your total travel time. Consider a typical 15-mile commute, a distance many Americans travel one-way for work. If the speed limit is 35 mph and you decide to drive 45 mph, you might save around six minutes. While that might feel like a win, the savings become even smaller when you consider several factors.
Diminishing returns: This refers to the concept of diminishing returns. Research shows that the faster the legal speed limit, the less time you save by exceeding it. For example, if you’re on a highway with a 65-mph speed limit and you increase your speed to 75 mph, you only save about two minutes over that same 15-mile distance. In this scenario, you're only increasing your overall speed by about 15%, compared to a nearly 30% increase when going from 35 to 45 mph.
These calculations often take place in a perfect world, without red lights, stop signs, traffic congestion or construction zones. Any time gained by speeding is often lost while waiting at the next intersection or getting stuck in a traffic jam with everyone else. A study from the Society of Automotive Engineers found that even with aggressive driving—including speeding and rapid lane changes—drivers in city traffic saved almost no time on their trips.
In addition, if you get a ticket, you could find yourself deep in a variety of time-consuming consequences. When you get pulled over and have to interact with a police officer and then wait for your citation to be issued, this ultimately slows you down.
Additionally, depending on your driving speed and location, you may face a court date and be required to attend traffic school.
Speeding tickets can cost several hundred dollars—and those numbers could double if the police catch you speeding in a school zone or construction area.
Plus, your insurance company could increase your premium or even cancel your auto policy outright if you have too many violations, since this signals that you’re a riskier driver than others.
Forbes reviewed data from Quadrant Information Services and found that the average car insurance rate increase after a speeding ticket is about 26%, which equates to roughly $507 more per year for a typical full-coverage policy. If a driver fails to report penalty points, it can result in cancellation of your insurance policy, denied claims and accusations of insurance fraud.
Pedestrian safety should always be top of mind: There’s no barrier between pedestrians and a speeding car. In 2024, 7,148 pedestrians died in traffic crashes on public roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Need more proof of how speeding is a deadly force? Data from the NHTSA also shows that a person has a 50% chance of being killed when struck by a vehicle traveling at 46 mph.
Reducing speed isn’t just about whether a pedestrian lives or dies. It’s about how well an injured pedestrian can recover and the degree to which their injuries are manageable. Impacts at slower speeds often equate to less severe injuries and fewer permanent disabilities.
A recent study revealed that most drivers rely on specific justifications and personal safety assessments to determine their speed, rather than simply following the rules. Unfortunately, if you have young drivers in the family, especially teens, they’re easily influenced by this kind of mindset and subsequent driving habits. If you speed frequently, young drivers may think it’s safe to do the same, and this could result in serious harm or fatalities.
Understanding why we speed is the first step to slowing down and staying safe. Here is a simple breakdown of the psychology behind why we choose speed over safety.
For some drivers, speeding isn't a logistical choice; it's an emotional one. This is often called "sensation-seeking." Driving fast releases adrenaline, which can feel exciting or empowering.
There is a psychological concept known as the "better-than-average effect." In simple terms, most drivers believe they are safer and more skilled than everyone else on the road. This overconfidence leads us to believe we can handle our cars at high speeds, even if road conditions say otherwise.
Humans are social creatures, and we tend to copy the behavior of those around us. If you are driving on a highway where everyone is going 10 mph over the limit, you are likely to speed up to match them. This creates a false sense of safety.
Believe it or not, the road itself can encourage you to speed. On highways with wide lanes and open visibility, 70 mph can feel like 40 mph. Without trees or buildings close by to give us a reference for our speed, we lose our sense of how fast we are moving.
When we get into our cars, we enter a private, insulated bubble. This separation from the outside world creates a sense of anonymity. Because we don't have face-to-face interactions with other drivers, we feel less social pressure to follow the rules.
Acknowledging the rush, the overconfidence, the pressure to keep up, or the deceptive cues of the road empowers us to make safer choices behind the wheel. When we understand why we speed, we’re far better equipped to stop speeding—and that awareness is the first step toward safer, more mindful driving.
Here are some tips and ideas to help you to stop the speeding habit while driving.
Speeding may seem like a minor shortcut in the moment, but its real impact includes reduced fuel efficiency, higher repair costs, increased insurance premiums, legal consequences and serious safety risks. Speeding erodes both your peace of mind and your financial well-being.
By choosing to slow down, you’re not just protecting yourself, you’re helping create safer streets for every driver, passenger and pedestrian. With a few mindful habits and a commitment to responsible driving, you can safeguard your car, your wallet and the people you share the road with every day.
slow down to stay safe
Speeding may seem like a shortcut, but it comes with serious consequences—higher costs, increased risks, and lives at stake. Learn how to protect yourself, your passengers, and others on the road.
