Higher speeds on the road can make car accidents more likely to occur. In some cases, drivers will lose control at high speeds and directly cause a crash. In other cases, because they are speeding, they simply do not have enough space to react appropriately to changing traffic conditions. If someone stops ahead of them, for example, they may not be able to stop before causing a rear-end crash, when they would have been able to stop safely if they were simply following the speed limit.
At the same time, a high-speed car accident is more likely to lead to severe injuries. The greater the speed of the vehicle, the more energy that is transferred into the vehicle that it hits. This can cause serious injuries to the occupants of that vehicle, along with the speeding driver themselves.
The risk of rural roads
One way that statistics back up these observations about speed is when you look at fatal accident rates on rural roads. These are often simple roads with low traffic levels, so drivers assume that they are safe. But the fatal accident rate is much higher than the rate on more complex city streets.
A big part of the reason for this is that city streets have lower speed limits. Two vehicles may be involved in a head-on collision at 30 miles an hour, and both drivers walk away with minor injuries. But if the same crash happened in a rural area, when the vehicles were traveling at 60 miles an hour, there is a much greater likelihood of severe injuries and even fatalities.
Following speed limits can help to keep you safe, but there is always some level of risk from other drivers. If you have been injured, you may deserve compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.