Nearly every car accident in North Carolina has the potential to cause serious injury to drivers and passengers. Some situations, though, increase the likelihood of injury or death when a collision occurs.
Accidents that involve excess speed as a contributing factor tend to inflict more damage to travelers in the Tar Heel State.
Some important statistics
Information from the North Carolina Department of Transportation describes speeding as a major cause of injuries and deaths on the state’s roads. In 2021, speed-related vehicle crashes resulted in 424 deaths. This amounted to about 25% of all traffic fatalities in the state.
Only a small percentage of these deaths happened on interstate highways, with 91% occurring on non-interstate roads. Male drivers, specifically those under the age of 39, accounted for more than half of all speed-related crashes in the state.
More relevant details
A vehicle traveling at a speed of 65 mph when engaged in a crash is twice as likely to cause a death as a vehicle going 45 mph. Cars traveling at less than 40 mph when a crash happens have an even greater reduced chance of death or serious injury for the driver and passengers.
As road speeds increase, the likelihood of an accident also increases, due to several factors. A higher speed reduces the driver’s ability to stop for an obstacle in the road in time to avoid a collision. Fast speeds also impact how other drivers react to the speeding vehicle.
A serious road injury or death results in pain and suffering. Sometimes legal action is the only path toward justice for victims of vehicle accidents.