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IIHS Study Links 37,000 Fatal Road Crashes to Speed Limit Increase

In an update of an analysis that it started in 2016, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that over the past 25 years 37,000 road deaths can be in some way linked to the increase in speed limits.
Maximum speed limits in each U.S. state, December 2017 3 photos
Photo: IIHS
Maximum speed limits in each U.S. state, December 2017Maximum speed limits  in each U.S. state, January 1993
Overall, about 10,000 people die each year in the U.S. on account of speed-related crashes, a number that is on the rise because of each state’s policy of raising the allowed top speed on certain roads.

The IIHS says that since the mid-1990s, speed limits have increased steadily, often as a means to make the law obey the drivers and not the other way around.

In essence, says the organization, since most drivers don’t stay within the speed limits, the tendency is to raise them. But that creates a vicious circle, as drivers tend to break the new limit too.

As per IHS vice president for research and statistical services, Charles Farmer, a 5 mph increase in maximum speed limit is associated with an 8 percent increase in fatality rates on interstates and highways, and a 3 percent increase in fatality rate on other roads.

Using a simple math formula, Farmer and the IIHS concluded that 36,760 more deaths were registered over the past 25 years because the maximum speed limits have increased over that time. Of them, 1,900 lost their lives in 2017 alone.

"Speeding has become almost a forgotten issue in traffic safety discussions, and clearly we’re losing any sense of limits," said in response to the study Darrin Grondel, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

"This gathering is an exceptional opportunity to craft the building blocks of a comprehensive speed management program that we can translate into action to really make a difference in our work of saving lives."

Presently, 41 states have maximum speed limits of 70 mph or higher, six states allow drivers to reach 80 mph, and Texas even allows for an 85 mph speed limit on some roads.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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