Online Traffic School

“Speeding tickets… It’s all about the money.”

That is what many people say when they get a speeding or other moving vehicle citation. True, local governments rely on revenue from speeding tickets to partially fund police and sheriff’s departments.

The main reason for speeding tickets, however, is to make people slow down to safe speeds. What if officers across the country suddenly decided to quit writing speeding tickets, or at least only issue a fraction of the citations they usually do?

This scenario actually happened. In fact, it just happened. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most courts were shut down and we were encouraged or mandated to maintain distance and exchange less papers for our safety. Some police and sheriff’s departments dramatically curtailed ticket issuance to avoid massive court backlogs when courts eventually reopened. Some courts utilized Zoom-like meetings in lieu of a physical presence in court, but most did not.

Did the reduction in speeding tickets law enforcement of driving infraction lead to more traffic fatalities? YES! According to a Wall Street Journal article on October 2, 2020, “Vehicle Fatality Rate Jumped in the Spring.”

The rate of crash deaths in the U.S. rose as the coronavirus pandemic erupted in 2020, fueled by an increase in risky behaviors like speeding and by a reduced police presence on roadways, according to federal highway safety officials.

The traffic fatality rate jumped to 1.25 per 100 million vehicles miles traveled, up from 1.06 during the period in 2019. In the second quarter, the fatality rate hit 1.42, officials said.

While traffic volumes dropped more than 16%, crash deaths fell just about 2% in the first half of the year of 2020, as states locked down and the economy stalled, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated.

The pandemic created “unique conditions in traffic safety history,” the agency said. NHTSA’s findings, laid out in a pair of repots, also point to a lack of seat-belts as a factor, along with increased drug and alcohol use.

The analysis fills out a picture that began to emerge in April, when highway traffic safety officials around the country saw a surge in crashes and fatalities.

“It is still a stunner,” said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices. “There are less people driving. We would have expected big, big reductions in traffic deaths.”

In 1973, the Federal government convinced all 50 states to lower the speed limit from 75 mph to 55 mph. This action was taken in response to an oil embargo from several large Middle Eastern oil producers. Travelling at slower speeds over the same distance reduces fuel consumption. The point was for America to not run out of gasoline. Gasoline usage did indeed decrease. However, Americans received a much greater benefit: 9,500 fewer fatalities from motor vehicle collisions resulted in the year after the speed limit was lowered. Remember, approximately 40,000 people die from motor vehicle wrecks every year in the U.S., so a reduction of 9,500 was a significant number. Speed kills!

Many people speed to save time. But how much time do you really save?

A Wall Street Journal article mentioned that driving 89 mph for 50 miles would save 6 minutes from driving the same distance at 75 mph.

This applies math to an assumption that you would travel 89 mph consistently for the entire trip. Realistically, however, you would have to slow down while a driver in the left lane has to move to the right lane to let you pass. This would probably occur several times over the course of your drive. This would decrease the time you would be saving by speeding. Also, if you drive at 89 mph, you will eventually get a speeding ticket. How long would you be delayed by the officer? How long to go to traffic court?

What about the money wasted paying for this course as well as court costs? If you decide to just pay for ticket, think how much your insurance premiums will increase!

Perhaps the reason most people speed is psychological. Because so many others are speeding, it becomes a habit. You can create a new habit by doing the same thing every day for 21 days. Simply set your cruise control on the speed limit and in a few weeks driving the speed limit will be your new normal. You will save time, money and you do not have to constantly be worrying about where the police are.

Speeding increases your chance of experiencing a crash, because the faster you go, the longer it takes to stop. What if someone pulls out in front of you and stops abruptly? Let’s say you are driving 60 mph, it will take you well over 100 feet to stop. This might not allow enough room to stop in time before hitting that vehicle. Therefore it is so important to adjust your speed based on what you see, just in case the other driver doesn’t see you and pulls out in front of you.

Be aware, your braking distance increases at a much faster rate. For example, a vehicle going forty miles per hour needs four times as much distance to stop as one traveling twenty miles per hour, not twice as much. A vehicle going sixty miles per hour needs nine times as much stopping distance as a vehicle going twenty miles per hour.

Even though going faster may get you there a few minutes sooner, your risks increase substantially.

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