July 14, 2020
For the second consecutive year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will focus their annual Operation Safe Driver Week on speed. This effort is to address alarming increases in average speed and collisions since the Covid-19 shutdown. With fewer drivers on the road and total miles driven down 18.6%, the National Safety Council's fatality data still indicates a 14% increase in fatalities per mile in March this year as compared to March 2019. During this week, the CVSA in partnership with law enforcement and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will increase enforcement and education about driving behaviors that contribute to the main causes of crashes.As this priority on speeding by law enforcement is intended to heighten awareness, it's a good time to evaluate solutions to speeding and how to mitigate some of the consequences of speeding, including:
Loss of Vehicle Control:
While the unpredictable nature of traffic, road conditions, and weather may instigate a loss of control, increased speed results in an even greater loss of control and potential for damage to vehicles and injury to passengers. Additionally, spins and rollovers, where speed is sometimes a contributor, result in twice the average verdict of standard collisions in cases classified as Nuclear verdicts, at $15 million on average according to ATRI.
Higher speeds result in more distance required to stop a vehicle. Where danger can often be the result of other divers' actions, it's important that commercial drivers have ample time to respond to danger.
Vehicles traveling at higher speeds have a significantly higher probability of resulting in injuries and fatalities as the higher rate of speed leads to greater impact.
Well documented and measured by fleet tracking companies such as GPS Insight, speed contributes to higher fuel costs. A Class 8 truck averaging 45,000 miles per year would save up to $7,300 per year by driving 55 mph instead of 75.
It's important to understand the dangers of speeding while driving, and put this emphasis in your fleet management program. The thing is, most drivers are speeding without realizing it. To avoid those traffic tickets and improve compliance, follow our solutions to speeding.