Everyone knows speeding is bad. It is one of the most common traffic offenses, and the number of speeding tickets given out in the United States is in the millions. Despite this, 90 percent of people admit to speeding occasionally, and 91% of drivers believe that the speed limit is less important than keeping up with the flow of traffic. In our society, drivers value their time more than others’ lives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 39,345 people died in traffic crashes in 2024. Deaths from accidents involving speeding made up about 11,400 of those deaths. Despite traffic accident deaths trending down as years pass, speeding accidents continue to increase. Many people have the mentality that “Just five miles per hour over” is a safe way to drive. This is not true. Speeding, even while minimal, is illegal and increases the risk and damage of accidents.
Yet, people continue to speed, and patience is truly a lost virtue today. In a society that is so self-involved, it is hard to consider anyone else. Every single time people use the internet, they receive an experience that revolves around them. A Google search tells them what they want in half a second, or a TikTok algorithm shows them videos that match their beliefs. Car crashes are even viewed as inconveniences for many, especially when they block the road or cause traffic. The first thought for many people is how it is going to affect them. These situations that are faced by the majority of people daily facilitate an environment to be deficient in empathy.
The lack of empathy causes people to value their time more than the lives of others on the road. There is no justification for this. If the goal is to get to the destination five minutes early, leave five minutes earlier instead of going 60 mph in a 40 mph limit area. Even in absurd situations, speeding causes more harm than good. For example, speeding to see a sibling in the hospital can result in more injury to the driver or another person in the event of a crash. It is in the best interest of everyone involved for the driver to go the speed limit and arrive to see their sibling as soon as possible without endangering anyone else.
The group mentality is a dangerous concept. The more people continue to act mindlessly to fit the status quo, the more danger society will be in, both physically and mentally. Just because one, two, or twenty people are speeding around you does not make it right. Integrity is a lost art in today’s narcissistic society. Speeding is not simply bad because it is against the law. Breaking away from the group mentality and making integrity a personal value will improve quality of life for everyone. People will continue to speed, but each individual who makes the decision to go the speed limit gradually makes everyone’s lives safer.
