Speed a factor in almost one-third of all U.S. highway fatalities in the U.S., data shows

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speed was a factor in at least 29 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U. S. in 2013 and contributed to the deaths of at least 9,613 people nationwide. In Louisiana, speeding accounted for at least 27 percent of traffic fatalities the same year, killing 193.
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense, or if the responding officer reports that the driver was driving too fast for conditions at the time or was exceeding the posted speed limit.
“Our highway fatality rates in Louisiana have declined significantly since 2007, but we are still losing precious lives here and throughout the country, and speed is a major factor,” said Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director John LeBlanc.
Speed is often accompanied by other driving hazards, such as impairment and lack of seat belt use, he explained. According to NHTSA, in 2013, drivers in the U.S. involved in fatal crashes who were speeding were alcohol-impaired more than twice as often as those not speeding, and about 42 percent of speeding drivers in fatal crashes had BACs of .08 or higher, compared to only 16 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes who were not speeding.
Further, fewer than half (49%) of speeding passenger vehicle drivers who were involved in fatal crashes were restrained at the time of the crashes, compared to 78 percent of non-speeding drivers. “The chance of causing a fatal crash compounds exponentially with each risk factor and with every mile per hour increase in speed at impact,” LeBlanc said.
Speeding greatly reduces a driver’s ability to slow a vehicle when necessary or to steer safely around an unexpected curve, another vehicle or hazardous object in the roadway, he said.
Some other facts about speeding drivers, according to NHTSA:
Young males were the most likely to be speeding at the time of fatal crashes. In 2013, about 35 percent of 15- to 20-year-old and 21- to 24-year-old male drivers involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. were speeding, the highest among all age groups.
In 2013, 34 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 21 percent for passenger car drivers, 18 percent for light- truck drivers, and 8 percent for large-truck drivers.
“Driving too fast for conditions” is one of the reasons a driver can be cited for speeding. In 2013, speeding was a factor for 23 percent of drivers involved in fatal accidents on wet roads and 41 percent of drivers on icy roads in the U.S., according to NHTSA.
In 2012, about 23 percent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. had an invalid license at the time of the crash, compared to 11 percent of non-speeding drivers.
Speeding fines in Louisiana vary from parish to parish, but offenders can count on paying at least $100 for a first offense. A speeding fine often increases according to how much a driver exceeded the posted speed limit.