According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, slowing down while driving has 5 important benefits:
* Save lives – Slowing down increases the likelihood of surviving a crash. Researcher Rune Elvik found that a 1% decrease in travel speed reduces injury crashes by about 2%, serious injury crashes by about 3% and fatal crashes by about 4%. 13,500 people died in speed-related crashes in 2006. Don’t become a statistic.
* Save money – Speeding reduces fuel efficiency, causing you to buy gas more often. The Department of Energy estimates that, as a rule of thumb, drivers can assume that each 5 mph they drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
* Save the environment – According to Ford Motor Company, driving a vehicle at 65 mph consumes about 15% more fuel than driving the same vehicle at 55 mph. More fuel consumed means more CO2 released into the atmosphere.
* Save yourself a ticket – Highway safety agencies and law enforcement are cracking down on speeders. Obey the sign or pay the fine!
* Save your license – A speeding ticket could lead to points on your driving record. Too many points and you could lose your license and your insurance premiums could go up.