The NTSB Wants Speed Reduction Tech Installed in All New Cars

Almost every driver is aware of the speed limit signs placed on roads. These speed limits are implemented to keep drivers, passengers, and anyone else sharing the roads safe. However, many people still choose to ignore them even though they know how dangerous speeding can be.

A federal government agency has recently voiced their support for speed reduction technology to be installed in all new vehicles, as they believe this could possibly help combat this issue and in turn reduce car accidents.

Why does the NTSB think that speed reduction technology could help the speeding problem?

According to an article published by TechCrunch, a federal government agency called the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) believes that speed reduction technology can prevent dangerous and deadly accidents from occurring. The agency pointed out an accident that occurred in early 2022 to explain their reasoning for the speed reduction technology, which involved a Dodge Challenger traveling at 103 mph.

The Challenger ran a stop sign and collided into a minivan that had seven people inside. The accident caused four other cars to crash. Unfortunately, both the driver and passenger of the Challenger as well as all six passengers in the minivan passed away. The driver of the Challenger had a long driving history which showed that they frequently drove over the speed limit.

The NTSB states that continuing to depend on states to come up with methods to combat speeding is not enough. However, the NTSB is not in charge of implementing laws and regulations regarding mandatory equipment. Therefore, the agency is requesting that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) make intelligent speed-assist technology (ISA) a requirement for all new vehicles. The NHTSA says they gladly accept recommendations from the NTSB, and they will be reviewing this idea to see if it may work.

How the ISA technology would work

The article explains that the ISA technology would be part of all new cars’ systems. This means that it would automatically locate and keep track of the car’s GPS location, which would inform the technology of the legal speed limit. As a result, the ISA technology would provide a warning to the driver when they go over the speed limit, which would likely be a warning sound or visual alert. The hope is that this warning would encourage the driver to slow down. However, the technology could also possibly prevent the vehicle from exceeding the posted speed limits.

While the NTSB thinks the ISA technology system is a great start to preventing devastating accidents that occur from speeding, many people may disagree and think that it is a way to control their freedom. Some may even believe that it could prevent them from being able to get somewhere quickly in the event of an emergency. Therefore, even though the NTSB may have good intentions behind this idea, it could be challenging to implement because a lot of individuals may claim that it is a “government overreach.”

Is speeding common in Kansas City, MO?

Speeding is very common in Kansas City, Missouri. In fact, a police traffic summary report released by the Kansas City Police Department in April 2021 shows speeding as the top reason for citations in March and April 2021. Although the total number of citations given for March and April that year was 19,082, the number of citations given for speeding alone was 8,071, which was very close to half of the total citations.

While Kansas City, MO has an issue with speeding, it appears that the entire state of Missouri also has a big speeding problem. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety states that around 40 percent of all fatal crashes in Missouri are due to speeding, making it the main factor for fatal accidents in the entire state. The Coalition also explains that even driving five miles per hour over the speed limit can increase the chances of a fatal crash by 24 percent.

Why do drivers choose to speed?

Speeding is almost always a choice made by the driver. There may be several different reasons why drivers choose to drive over the speed limit, such as:

• They may be late to work, an event, or an appointment.
• They may find it thrilling or fun to drive fast.
• They may be mad, angry, or frustrated with other drivers, leading to aggressive driving.
• They may have an emergency.
• They may be unaware that the speed limit changed.
• They may be distracted and not paying attention.
• They may be driving while drunk or intoxicated.

Even though these are very common reasons for speeding, they do not excuse the behavior. Speeding causes traumatic accidents that either kill people or cause catastrophic injuries.

Seven dangers of speeding

In 2021, the United States lost 12,330 people to speeding accidents. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of what speeding can do. Speeding is extremely dangerous, and drivers should refrain from doing it at all costs. Here are seven dangers of speeding that you should know about:

1. When a person is speeding, they are more likely to lose control of their vehicle.
2. Speeding significantly reduces drivers’ reaction times.
3. When speeding plays a role in an accident, the likelihood of those involved suffering life-threatening injuries increases.
4. Speeding can quickly cause a rollover accident.
5. If a driver is speeding, they may not have enough time to stop or slow down for unexpected traffic events.
6. When speeding, the vehicle’s safety parts, such as the seat belt and airbags, are less effective.
7. The faster a person drives, the harder the impact will be when they crash into another car, object, or even a pedestrian.

If you suffer injuries from an accident that involved speeding, the car accident lawyers from Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys are ready and available to assist you. Our team will listen to your experience, go over your legal rights, help you collect evidence, and fight for the compensation you need and deserve to rebuild your life again. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today. As Kansas City’s Favorite Law Firm, we are conveniently located in various areas across Kansas and Missouri, such as Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Parkville and St. Joseph (MO); Olathe, Kansas City, and Overland Park (KS). Please keep in mind that all our offices are by appointment only except our main office in Kansas City, MO.