GHSA Reports on Lack of Headway in Speeding Reduction

There has been a lack of progress in efforts to reduce speeding, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The GHSA released a report in mid-January 2019 entitled, “Speeding Away from Zero: Rethinking a Forgotten Traffic Safety Challenge,” and it recommends various ways to address speeding that can apply to the situation in California, as elsewhere.

Speeding contributes to nearly one third of automobile-related fatalities, yet many drivers consider it culturally acceptable. The report claims that better education and stricter enforcement of state and federal speeding policies can help create a more safety-minded culture. The GHSA itself will try to create a speeding reduction program with a wide range of stakeholders. The GHSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety will hold a forum with them.

Should a program be developed, the GHSA’s State Highway Safety Office members can then implement it using their unique position in state government. The report shares the same principles as the multi-national Vision Zero project, which aims to reduce roadway fatalities to zero. However, there is little focus on rural areas.

While urban areas like New York City and Boston have reduced speed limits in the effort to curb speeding, the fact is that rural areas see more speeding-related deaths. More than 5,000 such deaths arose on rural roads in 2016 alone.

If a speeding-related crash leads to injuries, the victim could file an auto accident claim against the negligent driver’s auto insurance company. Under California’s rule of comparative negligence, plaintiffs can receive damages according to the degree to which the other was at fault. With a lawyer, victims can strive for the maximum amount possible either out of court or through a trial. The lawyer can handle either step. Third parties like crash investigators and medical experts could come in to strengthen the case.