Vehicle Speed Is a Factor in 1,000 Deaths Each Month, NHTSA Says

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The 76 page report released on June 15 included data that showed vehicle speed as a factor in roughly 1,000 deaths per month.

Speed played a role in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes from 1983 to 2002, according to NHTSA. "Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes," leading to a reduction in a driver’s steering ability, the report said. “New Jersey had the lowest proportion of speeding-related crashes in that time period, while South Carolina had the highest proportion,”

The proportion of speeding-related deaths compared with total deaths reached a high of 36.8 percent -- or 16,947 deaths -- in 1986. That proportion fell to a low of 29.9 percent -- or 12,552 deaths -- in 2000, but has grown in the years since, NHTSA said.”