Speeding Is An Epidemic And It May Lead To More New Haven Auto Accidents

Drive along any road in the New Haven area and you’ll be surprised by the speed at which many motorists are traveling.  Excessive speed is one of the most significant things that can lead to fatal New Haven auto accidents but it continues to happen at an alarming rate all around us.  Recent data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation is proving that our roads are filled with drivers who are anxious to get where they are going and they don’t care if they are putting themselves or others on the road at a greater risk.

The state recently highlighted two spots on Connecticut’s roads that are of particular concern, but these are just examples of the broader problem of motorists ignoring the speed limit on a road and traveling at the speed that they believe is ok for themselves to travel at.  Take for instance a stretch of I-95 in Norwalk where the speed limit is 65 mph, in 2018 a very small percentage of drivers were traveling at 85 mph, a very significant 20 mph over the posted speed limit.  At the time, the number of people on the road that were traveling at that speed was just 0.3 percent.  Fast forward to 2022 and the number had spiked to over 3% of all traffic on the road traveling at that excessive speed.

Another example cited by state authorities was in East Lyme where the number of people just a few years ago that were traveling at 20 mph over the speed limit was around 0.6 percent and in the past year that number has jumped to 2%.  This is a staggering increase that represents thousands of drivers traveling at speeds that could cause serious harm on our roads.

If you are someone who wishes to limit the risk of an auto accident you might get into and are worried about the excessive speeding on our roads, there are things you can do to help avoid being put in a compromising situation.

1.) Always follow the posted speed limit.  While it might feel like you are standing still while others are zooming past you, driving well over the posted speed limit, following the posted speed is one way to limit any damage done in the event that you were to get into an accident.  The posted speed limit is based on research and you are much less likely to get significantly injured in an accident when you are traveling at those speeds.

2.) If you see a vehicle that is traveling at an excessive speed, safely move over and let them pass.  It is not worth getting into any situation where you are the reason they are slowing down.  Law enforcement’s role is to make sure these vehicles are slowed through traffic calming measures and traffic stops.  It is your job to let them go by without incident and keep yourself and your passengers safe.

3.) In the event that there is a particular stretch of road that you travel often that is always a problem you may want to seek an alternative route for your drive.  While this might seem like a hassle it is a small price to pay to keep yourself safe behind the wheel.  Using a GPS enabled app on your phone or navigation system will allow you to pick an alternative route easily and it will even allow you to make sure it is not significantly out of your way.

Excessive speed on Connecticut’s roads is a problem for all of us.  Even if you are not the one that is driving well over the posted speed limit it does put you in a situation where you may be more likely to get injured or killed if you were to get into a New Haven auto accident with a driver who is not obeying the speed limit.  It is in your best interest and all other drivers on the road to express concern to anyone you may know who is not following the posted speed limit and let them know the dangers they may be putting themselves or others in.

When an accident happens, if it happens to you, you may need the services of an experienced attorney to review your situation.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.