Vision Zero Public Education Toolbox: Speeding

Why Speed Matters:

The faster you drive, the more likely you are to cause (1) a crash and (2) an injury to either yourself or someone else. Speeding raises these crash risks because when you’re driving fast:

1. You have less time to react.
2. You need more distance for braking.
3. You’re more likely to lose control if you need to maneuver around something.
4. You have more momentum, which means you’ll cause more damage.

Crashes related to speeding are on the rise in Arlington and nationally coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Help reverse these trends by slowing down and encouraging others to slow down, as well.

Image: Severe and Fatal Speeding-Related Crashes in Arlington County (2015-2023)

Image: Fatal Speeding-Related Crashes Nationwide (2000-2022) (National Safety Council) 

Illustrating the Importance of Safe Speeds:

Image: Reaction and Stopping Distance Relative to Your Traveling Speed (Federal Highway Administration)

Image: Pedestrian Crash Survival Rates Based on Driver's Speed (Institute of Transportation Safety Engineers) 

Image: Driver Field of Image by Rate of Speed (Virginia Safe Routes to School) 

Learn More:

• Speed Management is Key to Road Safety – from the Federal Highway Administration: https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/winter-2022/05        
• Speed as a Safety Program – from the Institute of Transportation Safety Engineers: https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/topics/speed-management-for-safety/speed-as-a-safety-problem/
• Speeding – from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding
• Motor Vehicle Safety Issues: Speeding – from the National Safety Council: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-safety-issues/speeding/
• Speed – from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI): https://www.iihs.org/topics/speed

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