When people get speeding tickets, they will sometimes complain that it’s a victimless crime. They weren’t involved in an accident. They didn’t harm anyone. They were simply breaking the legal limit, and now they have to pay hundreds of dollars in compensation. And they feel like it’s not fair because, even though they knew what the speed limit was, they don’t feel that breaking it was detrimental to society as a whole.
But is this a realistic way to look at speeding? Is it actually a victimless crime, as people will claim?
Speeding makes car accidents worse
There are two things to consider here, the first of which is that speeding makes it more likely that someone will get involved in an accident. For instance, one study looked at drivers who would increase their speed by 1%. It found that this increased the odds of an accident by 2%. It also increased the odds that someone would die by 4% and that they would suffer serious injuries by 3%.
A big part of the reason here is that speeding just makes these accidents worse. The faster two vehicles are going when they collide, the higher the odds that serious or fatal injuries will occur. Speed adds energy to this dangerous system, and that energy leads to injuries.
In this sense, speeding is not a victimless crime. Someone who hasn’t been involved in an accident may feel that way, but they’re really just lucky that they didn’t injure or even kill someone else.
If you have been involved in an accident caused by a speeding driver, then you may need to look into your legal options to seek financial compensation for your injuries and losses.
