Teens in the Driver Seat

A peer-to-peer safe driving program for your school.

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Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless

The problem of speeding:

  • In 2020, about 29 percent of all traffic fatalities involved at least one driver who was speeding.¹
  • In a high-speed crash, a passenger vehicle cannot handle the force of the crash. As crash speeds get very high, airbags and seat belts do not work as well to keep passengers safe.2
  • Speed influences the risk of crashes and crash injuries in three basic ways:2
    • By the time the driver realizes he/she needs to react, they’ve traveled closer to the danger
    • The driver has to brake harder
    • The crash is harder
  • Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next).3
  • If a driver doubles his/her speed – say from 30 mph to 60 mph – the braking distance does not become twice as long. It becomes four times as far. Traveling at 55 mph, it will take about 6 seconds to stop the vehicle. The vehicle will travel approximately 302 feet before coming to a stop. That is longer than the length of a football field.4
  • The total stopping distance of the vehicle depends on four things:4:
    • A driver’s perception time
    • A driver’s reaction time
    • A driver’s vehicle reaction time
    • A driver’s vehicle braking capability
  • When a driver is speeding, other drivers have a hard time telling how fast they are going.
  • Speeding to keep up with the flow of traffic is not legal and the driver can still be ticketed.
  • A driver should consider road conditions, weather, and road design and slow down when those change. It is easier to lose traction when speeding around a curve and the high center of gravity makes it easier to roll over. A driver should slow down before curves.

Always speak up for your safety

  • The faster the vehicle is going, the harder it is to stop.
  • Remember that speeding can be dangerous and cost money.
  • Watch for speed limit signs and let the driver know when the number changes.
  • Help the driver look for dangers in the road.
  • Ask questions about driving and how it’s done. This lets the driver know they are setting the example.
  • Know the law – Reckless driving is against the law and is defined as driving in a way that shows you really don’t care about the safety of people or property.

Sources:

  1. NHTSA FARS Data, 2020
  2. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,
  3. CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
  4. Ritzel, Dale O. (2003). Stopping a vehicle, Southern Illinois University, https://ritzel.siu.edu/courses/302s/vehicle/totalstoppingdistance.htm

Updated July 2022