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From page 13 of the report:One of the most challenging issues contributing to traffic crashes is speeding, which is driving in excess of the posted legal limit. According to NHTSA, in 2015, almost 30% of all fatal crashes involved speeding as a contributing factor. Speed-related crashes took 9,557 lives in 2015 alone, an increase of 3% from the previous year. Speed-related crashes caused $52 billion in economic costs and $203 billion in comprehensive costs, based on 2010 data.
Speeding can have many consequences, such as an increased stopping distance, decreased time for the driver to react to emergencies and other roadway hazards, and higher levels of crash energy. Further, other common contributing factors to crashes such as alcohol, seat belt use, and inexperienced novice drivers go hand-in-hand with, or are exacerbated by, speeding to produce deadly and dangerous situations.
A common policy solution to reduce crashes involving excessive speed is automated enforcement, specifically speed cameras. These have been shown to reduce both speed and crashes, according to IIHS. A study comparing similar roads in Maryland and Virginia found that a speed camera program resulted in a 19% reduction in the likelihood that a crash involved a fatal or incapacitating injury.