February 1997 Problem Statement Travel at safe and reasonable speeds on highways promotes the nation's productivity. Most highways and motor vehicles are designed and built for safe operation at the speeds traveled by most motorists. Nevertheless, speeding on the nation's roadways is a contributing factor in as many as one third of all fatal crashes.
Fatal crashes are only a small part of the total safety picture.
In addition, many people are injured in speed-related crashes. Federal Policy on Speeding Speeding is a significant threat to public safety and warrants priority attention. The Department of Transportation's policy on highway speeds is to provide guidance to State and local governments to set speed limits that maximize the efficient and rapid transportation of people and goods while eliminating the unnecessary risk of crashes due to unsafe speeds. This policy promotes the concept that Federal, State, and local governments should have balanced programs that use the most cost-effective strategies for decreasing crash risks from speeding. The following are the key elements of a balanced program to implement the speed policy at the Federal, State, and local levels.