When it comes to traffic deaths and injuries, speeding is the most common contributing factor. Michigan has a lot of freeways, federal and state highways, and local roads that support a lot of traffic every year. This adds up to many injuries and fatalities on local roads that could have been avoided had one or both drivers slowed down.
More than 25 fatalities per day
Nationwide, speeding contributed to 9,378 fatalities in motor vehicle accidents during 2018, the National Safety Council reports. That is more than 25 people dying per day in 8,447 speed-related accidents that year. An accident is speed related when one or both drivers were exceeding the speed limit, driving too fast for road conditions or racing.
Fortunately, recent vehicle safety advancements have helped to reduce the percentage of speed-related fatalities from 32% in 2010 to 26% in 2018. But speeding remains the most prolific factor in road deaths.
Bad weather makes it worse
Road conditions have a significant effect on speed-related fatalities. The worse the driving conditions, the more likely speed will lead to an accident that causes injury or death. In a state that gets four seasons of weather with lots of rain and snowfall, Michigan roads can be especially treacherous. Traction often is fickle on wet and icy roads and even harder to maintain when speeding or driving aggressively.
Speeding drivers are liable for injuries and deaths
Michigan is a no-fault state in which auto accident costs are covered by insurers, and the Catastrophic Claims Association covers excessive costs regardless of fault. But deaths often have additional costs that can have a significant impact on the lives of survivors. When a person is severely injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident, an experienced attorney may work to ensure that the correct parties are deemed liable for any costs not covered by auto insurance or the Catastrophic Claims Association. This may help victims or their families avoid suffering a significant reduction in quality of living due to an auto accident that they did not cause.
