Philadelphia Speeding Accident Attorney

Approximately 1 out 3 fatal car accidents involve speeding according to NHTSA. And speeding is also one of the 3 main causes of auto and vehicle accidents. In fact, many drivers admit to speeding themselves in national surveys. Not only does speeding make car crashes more likely, but they also make the severity on injury greater. In many cases, the driver will not admit to speeding. However, a Philadelphia speeding accident attorney at Rosenbaum & Associates can often establish speeding was a factor through physical evidence or questioning the driver in a deposition. Sometimes we retain accident reconstruction experts to establish speeding through vehicle impact and the time it took the driver to travel from one point to another. This can be critical if there are no independent witnesses and the other driver is denying they are at fault. Our experienced Philadelphia trial lawyers have had great success in proving the defendant’s speeding was a major factor in the accident.

Pennsylvania Looks to Increase Speed Limits.

Senate President Joe Scarnati, in a second attempt to raise the speed limit on Pennsylvania Turnpike from 65 to 70 miles per hour is seeking co-sponsorship of his House Bill. On Friday, October 11, 2013, Scarnati based this decision on the belief that, “our vehicles have become more technically efficient and safety standards have continued to increase.” Further stating that the speed limit proposal was a means to allow, “better traffic flow and provide for greater efficiency in the delivery of goods throughout the commonwealth.” Let’s dive into the reality of such a statement. In 2011, Ohio’s Turnpike, which is far flatter and less curvaceous than the Pennsylvania Turnpike, raised the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph. According to Tom Breckenridge for the Cleveland newspaper, The Plain Dealer, during the first year after the 5 mph increase in Ohio there was a direct correlation with a 5.6 percent increase in the number of crashes on the Turnpike.

While a 5 mph increase to many may seem minuscule, and a means to get around quicker, a Philadelphia speeding accident attorney will tell you speeding does not actually save you much time. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation sites speeding as the most common form of aggressive driving violation that contributes to crashes. One person is killed in a crash on a Pennsylvania road every six hours, with approximately 350 crashes occurring on Pennsylvania highways on any average day (PennDOT). To put speeding into perspective, twice as many people lose their lives in crashes than homicide each year in Pennsylvania (Drive Safe PA).

After the 1995 National Maximum speed limit was repealed, the authority returned to the states to individually set speed limits. Speed limits have increased over the years from the standard 55 mph as many states have adopted 70, 75, even 85 mph speed limits. A multitude of studies have demonstrated that with the increase in speed limits so too have motorists increased their speeds, thus exceeding the new limits (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2013a). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2000, compiled a statistic that is still closely used today, in which it estimates that the total economic cost of crashes was $230.6 billion, with speed-related motor vehicle crashes costing society an approximate $40.4 billion each year, or $1,281 per second (Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA, 2007). A speeding-related crash according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2007 study is where the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense such as racing, driving too fast for conditions (in construction sites or weather related crashes), or exceeding the posted speed limit where it was a contributing factor in the car accident. The World Health Organization in 2004’s, World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, found that speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, which roughly equates to nearly 14,000 lives lost per year in the United States.

With such organizations as MADD bringing to light the dangers of driving while intoxicated, more needs to be done to bring awareness to the dangers of speeding. Alcohol and speeding go hand in hand between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. when approximately 70 percent of speeding drivers involved in fatal car accidents were considered to be alcohol impaired (NHTSA, 2007). Even more sobering is the notion that our novice drivers are the largest section of society where speeding and death are closely associated. The Center for Disease Control found that motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death for those 13-19 years of age (CDC, 2012). While many want to arrive at their destination quicker, truth is speeding will not help you, instead better time management will increase the chances that you arrive on time and in one piece. If you or a loved one was injured in a speed-related car accident, you may want to speak with the Philadelphia speeding accident attorney at Rosenbaum and Associates.

Even if the proposed 5 mph increase on the Pennsylvania Turnpike House Bill gains co-sponsors, passes the full House, wins approval of the chamber’s transportation committee, and then passes engineering studies, all before going into effect, the penalties for speeding in Pennsylvania will hold. Exceeding the speed limit in Pennsylvania by six to ten mph can lead to 2 points on your license, with greater traffic violations increasing the number of points and penalties. For those who are pulled over for excessively speeding the fines can include but are not limited to, 5 points on your license, license suspension, a hefty fine, and a possible hearing required before regaining your license.

If you would like more information regarding speed-related injury compensation in Philadelphia, please contact a Philadelphia speeding accident attorney at Rosenbaum & Associates online or call 1 800 7 LEGAL 7 for a Free Case Evaluation.