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Roadside Chat - Better late than never. Slow down
10/08/2021
The pandemic has impacted our lives in many different ways. One unexpected way law enforcement officials are seeing is a significant increase in speeding, especially excessive speed of more than 100 mph. While Iowa law enforcement has seen a large uptick in speeding across all roadways, it’s not just us. The issue is being seen in many states around the country.
But are you really saving that much time by speeding? Here’s the math done by one researcher:
- 15–mile trip, 55 mph speed limit, 10 miles over the speed limit: 2.51 minutes saved
- 30–mile trip, 55 mph speed limit, 10 miles over the speed limit: 5.04 minutes saved
- 50–mile trip, 55 mph speed limit, 10 miles over the speed limit: 8.4 minutes saved
What if you weigh that benefit with the real cost to bump up your speed just a little? Here’s a basic rundown of what you’ll pay if you get a speeding ticket for driving 6-10 miles over the limit in a speed zone under 55 mph:
- $55 for the ticket
- $8.25 surcharge
- $55 court costs
- TOTAL $118.25 for a time savings of a few minutes
Add the monetary cost to the more costly and impactful repercussions if you are involved in a crash. Property damage, medical bills, and worse…the loss of life can make those costs beyond calculation. It’s easy to believe that these consequences won’t happen to you, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speed was a contributing factor in 26% of all highway fatalities in the United States in 2019.
When speeding kills, it’s never an accident: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=671877480055721
So far in 2021, there have been 260 deaths in traffic crashes. That is an increase of six since last Friday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf
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