Whether in a rush, not paying attention to the speedometer, or just blatantly disregarding the law, speeding drivers are a common sight on New York’s roads – with devastating consequences. The NHTSA cited speeding as the most common cause of fatal collisions, and further identified four distinct behavior patterns of speeding drivers.
Understanding the different patterns helps people to recognize when you or the driver of your vehicle may be engaging in this dangerous driving behavior and take the necessary precautions to avoid it. This reduces your risk of motor vehicle accidents, avoids costly speeding tickets, gives you more time to react to road hazards, and helps you maintain greater control of your vehicle.
Driver Speeding Patterns
The NHTSA has identified four speeding patterns that affect drivers in New York and the rest of the country: incidental, situational, casual, and habitual.
Incidental Speeding
Incidental speeding is referring to motorists that normally obey the speed limit. However, when they do speed, it’s usually not excessively over the legal limit when they are driving. The drivers also only engage in the behavior on a small percentage of their trips. Breaking the speed limit is usually unintentional, and they don’t continue to speed for the entirety of their trip.
Situational Speeding
A situational speeding pattern occurs when a motorist usually obeys the speed limit, but occasionally goes well above posted limits during a given trip. This is often due to a factor in the motorist’s situation when behind the wheel – this could mean:
- Oversleeping
- Medical emergency
- Traffic congestion that has resulted in delays
- Being late for obligations that include school, work, or family events
Casual Speeding
Casual speeding, also known as regular speeding, refers to motorists who frequently exceed the speed limit – but generally just for a fragment of their trip. The NHTSA believes this particular speeding pattern is associated with systematic or repeated behaviors of the driver.
Habitual Speeding
The most dangerous pattern of behavior is habitual speeding. This means motorists who regularly disobey the speed limit – often going very high speeds – for the majority of most of their trips.
New York Personal Injury Lawyers
Speeding New York drivers not only break the law but engage in negligent, dangerous behavior that puts themselves and others on the road at risk of car accidents resulting in catastrophic injury or death. It’s important to drive safety and within the speed limit, but to take action and hold a speeder who has injured you in a wreck responsible for your injuries. For help recovering the maximum possible compensation for your injuries, contact the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at MOWK Law today. Our attorneys have provided aggressive, comprehensive representation for injury victims for years. We know how to investigate and litigate complex motor vehicle accidents and deliver successful outcomes for our clients. Contact us today with your questions!