Traffic Safety Facts 1998: Speeding

NHTSA · 1998 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1998, addresses the prevalence, economic impact, and demographic characteristics of speeding-related traffic crashes in the United States. Speeding is defined as exceeding posted speed limits or driving too fast for conditions. The document highlights that speeding is a major contributor to traffic fatalities, accounting for 30 percent of all fatal crashes in 1998, which resulted in 12,477 deaths. The estimated annual economic cost of these crashes was $27.7 billion, comprising $10.4 billion for fatal crashes, $13.4 billion for injury crashes, and $3.9 billion for property-damage-only incidents. The analysis utilizes national crash data to examine correlations between speeding and other risk factors, including age, gender, alcohol consumption, vehicle type, and road conditions. The findings indicate that young males are the demographic most likely to be speeding in fatal crashes; specifically, 37 percent of male drivers aged 15 to 20 involved in fatal crashes were speeding. A strong correlation exists between speeding and alcohol impairment. In 1998, 43 percent of intoxicated drivers (BAC ≥ 0.10 g/dl) involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to only 14 percent of sober drivers. Furthermore, 76 percent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes between midnight and 3 a.m. had been drinking. Motorcyclists exhibited significantly higher risks, with speeding involvement in fatal crashes being twice as high as for passenger car or light truck drivers. Additional findings reveal that speeding drivers were less likely to use safety restraints and more likely to have invalid licenses compared to nonspeeding drivers. For instance, only 39 percent of speeding drivers under 21 in fatal crashes were wearing seat belts, versus 60 percent of nonspeeding drivers in the same age group. Road conditions also influenced speeding involvement; speeding was a factor in 60 percent of fatal crashes on icy roads and 55 percent on snow or slush-covered roads. Geographically, 85 percent of speeding-related fatalities occurred on non-Interstate highways. The report concludes that speeding significantly reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely and increases stopping distances, contributing to a substantial burden on public health and the economy. These statistics underscore the critical need for targeted interventions addressing young male drivers, alcohol-impaired speeding, and motorcycle safety.

Key finding

Speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes in 1998, resulting in 12,477 deaths and an estimated economic cost of $27.7 billion.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• comparative international
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities
• incidence prevalence

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence