Everyone speeds once in a while, especially new teen drivers. Check out these facts and decide if speeding is really a good idea:
- For every one mile per hour a car is moving, it travels 1.46 feet per second!
- Traveling at a speed of just 40 miles per hour, your car will move nearly 118 feet in two seconds.
- The average response time for adults is 1.5 seconds.
- This totals 206.5 feet traveled before you could step on the brake or take evasive action in an emergency!
- 206.5 feet is equivalent to 70 yards of a football field, three 18 wheelers or 13 sedans.
Remember, this is just for a car traveling at 40 mph. If you are traveling at 55 mph, the distance before you can brake is even more.
- Not only will speeding increase the time it takes to stop, it will also increase the impact and risk of injury or death. The faster the movement, the greater the amount of force.
- If a car is traveling at 40 mph and hits a tree, the amount of force involved would be equal to the car hitting the ground after falling from a 50 foot cliff! If a person in the car was not wearing their seatbelt, they would hit the windshield at the same amount of force as hitting the ground after falling from the top of a five story building. Of course the force will increase in this situation if the speed increases.
Is speeding really worth it? Think again next time you consider it. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact us immediately. Source: NYS DMV: Resource Guide for Teen Drivers
Mr. Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. He has become a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrongdoers and irresponsible parties.
An accomplished litigator, Mr. Finkelstein has represented Plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has successfully handled dozens of multi-million dollar cases.