How Speeding Causes Accidents And How To Prove Speeding
Posted on: 25 March 2020
Some people believe that speed doesn't cause car accidents — that it is people who cause accidents. However, speeding does cause auto accidents. Below are some of the ways in which this can happen.
How Speeding Causes Auto Accidents
Here are some of the ways in which speeding can cause auto accidents.
Difficulty Stopping
Some road dangers require you to stop as fast as possible. For example, you may need to stop fast if the car in front of you develops a problem, such as a tire blowout.
How fast you can stop your car in such a situation depends on multiple factors, including your speed. Speeding makes it harder to stop, which increases your risk of an accident.
Ease of Losing Control
Losing control of a car at high speed is also easier than losing control of a car at a low speed. Losing control of a car can easily cause an accident.
Consider the example of hydroplaning, a situation where car tires slide on top of a thin film of water instead of touching the road surface. Hydroplaning can cause a loss of steering and reduces braking effectiveness. According to tireamerica.com, the risk of hydroplaning increases at speeds above 45 mph.
Reduced Reaction Time
Lastly, speeding also reduces reaction time, which is also dangerous in case of an emergency. For example, you need to react fast if a child suddenly darts in front of you. You have fewer seconds to react if you are traveling at a high speed than if you are traveling at a low speed.
Proof of Speeding
If you are using speeding as the basis of your auto accident claim, then you need evidence of your claim. Here are some forms of evidence you can use.
Police Data
Traffic police officers use speed guns to monitor cars' speeds and identify speeding motorists. Speeding motorists receive citations for their infractions. Thus, if the defendant received a citation for speeding, you can use the police data as proof of speeding in your auto accident claim.
Video Footage
Relevant video footage can also help you prove that the defendant was speeding. Video footage can come from various sources, such as nearby security cameras, surveillance videos, cellphone cameras, and even dashcam videos (from the police and other motorists). You can calculate the car's speed using the time it took to cover the distance captured in the video footage.
Eyewitness Testimony
Lastly, testimony from other motorists can help prove that the defendant was speeding. For example, if a driver was driving at 70 mph and your defendant overtook the driver, then it is clear that the defendant's speed exceeded 70 mph at that time.
Contact an auto accident lawyer to learn more.
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