Let’s face it. We’re all in a hurry these days. We want to get around town quicker.
How much could it really hurt to increase our speed limits?
As much as we may wish the speed limits in Knoxville were higher, the safeguard provided by lower speeds can’t be argued. Whether on urban roads or open highways, traffic speed has a profound effect on driver safety. Here are the main ways that speed limits protect our roads.
This one may seem obvious to some, but a lot of people don’t understand the science behind road safety. This subject could be better described in a more in-depth physics lesson, but the idea is that the faster a vehicle is moving, the longer it takes to slow down. Being the massive objects that they are, vehicles require time to stop completely. In a situation that a complete stop is required to avoid an accident, a driver will have had to begin braking earlier when starting at higher speeds. In that type of situation, every second saved is a gift.
In addition to giving drivers more time to react, lower speed limits give drivers less reason to react in the first place. Depending on the nature of the vehicle in question, driving at higher speeds can place added strain on parts that are necessary for safe driving. For example, a car with worn tires is more likely to experience a blowout at 70 MPH than at 25. Considering the number of cars on the road that are in less than perfect condition, higher speeds are more likely to create dangerous situations.
Even in zones where speed limits are lower, accidents are still going to happen. There is no way to rule them out altogether. It should be noted, however, that high speed accidents are dramatically different than those at lower speeds. There is no such thing as a fender bender at high speeds. At high velocity, so much as scraping against a vehicle moving in the same direction can result in a total loss of control. At that same velocity, colliding head on with another vehicle is almost certain death.
Collisions occurring at lower speeds have a significantly reduced likelihood of serious injury or death. But even beyond harm done to drivers, lower speed collisions deal far less damage to the vehicle itself. If you are lucky enough to survive a high velocity crash, you will very likely have totaled your vehicle. A car accident is an unpleasant fate at any speed, but a low speed crash is the lesser of two evils.
There is almost always someone at fault in a traffic accident. If you believe that a reckless driver is the reason behind any harm caused to you, it may be best to contact a personal injury lawyer. Getting in touch with a personal injury lawyer immediately after your accident can save you time and money. In Knoxville, and in Tennessee at large, you have up to one year to file a personal injury claim.
Lower speed limits prevent accidents by increasing the available reaction time, and by lowering the likelihood of problems on the road. Just as importantly, lower speed limits reduce the severity of crashes. Our world is in a constant hurry to get from point A to point B. The next time you find yourself wishing your neighborhood speed limits were higher, try to remember the great amount of safety they are adding to your life.
After spending his secondary years of study at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, G Turner Howard III earned his BA at Tulane University. A member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, he received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Before becoming an attorney, he earned a Master’s and Doctor of Divinity at Andrews Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary. He also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam. With more than 20 years of experience, his firm has helped clients receive millions of dollars for personal injury, and in many cases, much faster than they ever expected.
