There are those who believe that the most important thing to do when they drive is to go slowly. This is likely just a response to the risks they face on the road. They know that there are millions of annual car accidents in the United States, and they don’t want to be involved. Perhaps they’ve read some daunting statistics, like the fact that roughly 40,000 people pass away in car accidents every year.
Driving slowly may seem safer, and it can reduce the severity of injuries suffered in an accident. This is because there is less energy involved in the crash. If two cars get into a head-on collision at 25 miles an hour, serious injuries are much less likely than if both cars were traveling 55 miles an hour – and that doesn’t even account for drivers who are breaking the speed limit.
Why driving slowly may be as dangerous as speeding
However, there are those who believe that speeding and driving massively below the speed limit carry about the same level of risk.
The problem is that driving too slowly impedes traffic. This causes traffic backups and congestion. It also forces drivers to change lanes in order to pass.
All of these things increase the odds of an accident. Someone who is driving under the speed limit is constantly in danger of being rear-ended. They are also forcing the roads to be much more chaotic around them, as other drivers weave between lanes and attempt to determine when it’s actually safe to pass if they’re approaching oncoming traffic. The driver who is going slowly has increased the odds of an accident just as much as someone who decided to break the speed limit.
Have you suffered injuries?
Have you been involved in an accident that someone else caused, leading to serious injuries or even the loss of a loved one? You may deserve financial compensation.