2022-2023 National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behaviors
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Summary
This report presents the findings of the 2022–2023 National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behaviors (NSSAB), the fourth iteration of a series conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study aims to provide national estimates of driver behaviors and attitudes toward speeding in the United States, building on previous surveys from 1997, 2002, and 2011. The research was motivated by the need to update national data and address declining response rates associated with telephone surveys. Consequently, this iteration shifted from random-digit-dialing telephone methods to an address-based sampling design using a mail-push-to-web approach. Additionally, the survey expanded the eligible population to drivers aged 18 and older, whereas previous iterations included those aged 16 and older. Data collection occurred between September 28, 2022, and January 22, 2023, yielding 5,680 responses via web and mail. Of these, 5,593 respondents reported driving at least occasionally and were included in the analysis. The study utilized latent class analysis to categorize respondents into three driver types: speeders (17%), sometime speeders (44%), and nonspeeders (39%). The methodology involved weighting data to ensure national representativeness and included detailed demographic stratification. The survey instrument assessed driving frequencies, perceived safe speeds, normative and personal attitudes toward speeding, enforcement preferences, crash experiences, and other risky behaviors such as seat belt usage and distracted driving. The results indicate that most respondents hold strong normative beliefs against excessive speeding, with 91% agreeing that drivers should keep pace with traffic and 85% deeming it unacceptable to exceed speed limits by more than 20 mph. However, personal attitudes revealed that 62% of drivers often feel impatient with slower drivers, while only 48% worry significantly about crashing. Significant differences emerged across driver types. Speeders reported higher actual and perceived safe driving speeds on all road types compared to nonspeeders. Notably, respondents who had experienced speeding-related consequences, such as crashes or tickets, believed they could drive significantly faster over the limit before receiving a ticket, with crash-involved drivers estimating a margin of over 12 mph on highways. Demographically, the prevalence of speeders increased with household income, and males were more likely to be classified as speeders than females. The report also highlights that speeders were more likely to view speeding tickets as revenue-generating rather than safety-focused. The significance of this study lies in its updated national benchmarks for speeding behaviors and attitudes, reflecting contemporary driving norms post-2011. By transitioning to an address-based sampling method, the NHTSA improved sample coverage and representativeness. The findings underscore a disconnect between normative beliefs (obeying the law) and personal behaviors (impatience, speeding to match traffic flow), particularly among specific demographic groups. These insights inform the development of targeted countermeasures and enforcement strategies, highlighting the need to address the specific attitudes of "sometime speeders" and the demographic factors associated with risky speeding behaviors.
Key finding
Drivers classified as speeders, sometime speeders, and nonspeeders exhibit statistically significant differences in their speeding-related behaviors, normative attitudes, and demographic characteristics, with speeders comprising 17% of the population and showing distinct patterns in perceived safety and enforcement attitudes.
Methodology
survey
Sample size: 5680
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
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| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | partial | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified_with_issues.
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- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, behavioral performance data