Speed Kills! Or Does It?

By Damon Dallah

The term 'speeding' as we know it has become synonymous with the word death. Whenever we see a terrible car crash on the road, we always tend to assume that one of the vehicles was traveling at a high rate of speed.

It's very customary to think this way since that's the image that has been pounded into our heads since early childhood.

For years now, The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been literally brainwashing the American public into thinking that traveling over the speed limit will kill them.

Through the television, radio, newspapers, schools, billboards, magazines, and any other medium they can find, the NHTSA has been saying one thing and one thing only....speed kills!

Those two scary words have captured the minds and attention of everyone.

If you really believe their claim that speed kills, you are but one of the many. Millions of Americans have been duped into thinking this way.

It may seem like a logical assumption at first, but not until you break it down and see what they are really saying will you understand my point of view.

I know many of you really truly believe that speed kills. Yes, driving your vehicle too fast down a crowded highway can very well kill you. But saying that speed kills is unfair. That's like calling someone an alcoholic simply because they have a glass of wine with dinner.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying that speed doesn't kill. After all, who ever saw two parked cars get into an accident? Plus, as your speed increases so does your stopping distance. No one can dispute that fact.

All I'm trying to say is that although speed may play a part in an accident, stressing this fact alone is misleading. There are other factors that play a major part when it comes to traffic accidents.

These factors work as a group. Each one plays an important and crucial role when it comes to traffic accidents. They must be taken into consideration before anyone makes any illogical conclusions (like the NHTSA).

When they say that speed kills, it's the word 'speed' that is misleading. What it boils down to is that "speeding too fast for conditions kills".

But, the government would like you to think that "speeding over the speed limit kills".

Not true!

Studies prove that highway speed limits are on average 10 to 15 mph below the 85th percentile (safest speed to drive). So traveling over the speed limit is not necessarily dangerous.

We mustn't forget the other factors involved in accidents:

Road conditions - Wet, icy, slick, etc.
Vehicle conditions - Old, faulty mechanics, blind spots, etc.
Driver conditions - Drunk, high, sleepy, inexperienced, etc.
Traffic conditions - Congested, rush hour, etc.
Weather conditions - Rain, snow, ice, fog, etc.

Speeding is only a contributing factor to accidents, NOT the cause of them.

All of these other factors must be taken into account if we are to make an educated theory as to what is the major cause of traffic fatalities on our nation's highways. Only looking at one and not the other gives a warped picture of traffic accidents and traffic related deaths.

That's exactly how the NHTSA has been misleading the public for years. They've singled out speed and have forgotten (or purposely avoided) the rest.

All you'll ever hear them say is speed kills!

Not only is that their favorite slogan, but it is a powerful ear opener. People listen and accept it because it does - after all - make sense.

It makes sense and is true in some respects, but all it really is, is a very clever approach to bending the truth and getting your attention.

The public service announcements that riddle the airwaves and newspapers today are hiding the real truth so that you will be kept in the dark and accept things for what they "seem to be".

This allows the government to continue fleecing people of their hard earned money with the speed kills scenario. As a result, millions of unnecessary tickets are written - all in the name of "safety" and we have accepted it as such.

Think about this:

Would you say someone traveling at 70 mph is at risk to cause an accident the same as someone traveling at the same speed in icy conditions? Of course not.

So, if the driver traveling in icy conditions gets in an accident, can you say it was entirely due to his speed? Do you think the ice maybe had something to do with it?

Also, did you know that if a drunk driver is speeding and causes an accident, it is often times labeled as a speed related crash? Do you see how easily the truth can be misconstrued?

They'll tell you that speed is the number one cause of traffic related deaths. That going over the speed limit increases your chances of getting into an accident.

They tell you all of this when in reality their findings are the complete opposite of what they preach!

For instance, did you know...

Police cite fatigue and alcohol as the major cause of accidents on the highway today.
Only about 15% of fatal collisions occur on the highway.
Roughly 70% of drivers involved in fatal accidents have drugs or alcohol in their system.
2/3 of all fatal accidents occur at or below the speed limit.
The slowest 5% of all drivers on the highways accounted for a larger percentage of all accidents.

And for the biggest surprise...

The same study showed that the motorists with the lowest accident rates are those who typically travel at speeds anywhere from 8 to 12 mph OVER the posted speed limit!

So, why is it they don't tell the public about these important findings? What could possibly be the reason to avoid such significant information?

The plain and simple answer to this question is easy... if they tell us the real cause of traffic accidents, they can't continue to write as many speeding tickets as they currently do!

If everyone knew that speed alone is not the major cause of traffic accidents, they will eventually wake up to the realization that most speeding tickets are unjust.

By lying, misleading and manipulating the facts, our government can continue to make innumerable amounts of dollars in revenue. This is the only reason why they continue to lie (or bend the truth).

Speed doesn't kill... not wearing your seatbelt kills. Driving too fast in the rain while making a turn kills. Talking on the phone while applying makeup kills too. It isn't speed by itself.

The speed kills campaign will continue to go full blast. Millions more of Americans will continue to become brainwashed. They will pay their tickets without giving it a second thought. They believe they are being punished as a result of safety.

The never ending cycle of revenue will go on until more and more people wake up and start defending themselves.