Approximately 56 percent of all drivers involved in speed-related fatal crashes were under the influence of alcohol. Employers incur costs for injuries caused by traffic crashes through medical care, lost productivity, property damage, motor vehicle liability and wage premiums. In an effort to prevent motor vehicle crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has helped to establish NETS, Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. NETS is an organization to help those who are interested in setting up a traffic safety program. Exceeding the posted limit or driving too fast for conditions is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes.
Speed is a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes.
Too few drivers view speeding as an immediate risk to their personal safety or the safety of others. Yet, speeding reduces a driver's ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, and it extends the distance required to stop a vehicle in emergency situations. Crash severity increases with the speed of the vehicle at impact. Inversely, the effectiveness of restraint devices like air bags and safety belts, and vehicular construction features such as crumple zones and side member beams decline as impact speed increases. The probability of death, disfigurement, or debilitating injury grows with higher speed at impact.