Survey: 96% of Virginians admit they drive over the speed limit

As the number of people killed in speed-related crashes continues to grow this year, 96% of Virginians who responded to a recent survey admitted that they drive over the speed limit.

The results were tallied as part of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Executive Leadership Team on Highway Safety’s most recent #YourSayVA digital town hall, a survey designed to gauge Virginians’ perspectives on varying highway safety topics. This survey, taken by more than 600 Virginians this summer, focused on speeding.

Of those surveyed, 96% admitted they at least sometimes speed, while 43% said they speed “frequently” or “most of the time.”

“We are grateful for the more than 600 Virginians who took the time to share their thoughts on the impact of speed on our roadways in our second #YourSayVA digital town hall,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “While speed continues to play a major role in crashes that claim hundreds of lives every year, the information collected through this town hall will help to better understand how such crashes can be prevented.”

“In the year 2021, we have already witnessed too many preventable traffic fatalities as a result of speeding,” said Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. “Our highways are safer for everyone when drivers choose to follow speed limits. As thousands of Virginians prepare to travel for the holidays, I ask that we all remember that slowing down to the posted limit can save a life.”

Speed has been the leading factor in fatal crashes on Virginia roadways for more than a decade, a trend that mirrors national statistics.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, speed has been involved in one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities for more than two decades. In 2019, more than 9,000 people died in speed-related crashes on America’s roadways – 26% of all crash fatalities, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Crashes are more likely at higher speeds, IIHS officials said, because it takes a vehicle longer to stop or slow down; speed makes crashes deadlier because, as speed increases, so does the force of a crash.

Northam's Executive Leadership Team on Highway Safety is composed of representatives from the Virginia Departments of Motor Vehicles, transportation, health, education and state police, and led by the Secretaries of Transportation and Public Safety and Homeland Security. The team is charged with reducing fatalities on Virginia’s roadways and driving change in the commonwealth’s highway safety culture.

In 2020, 22,479 speed-related crashes on Virginia roadways resulted in 406 fatalities, the highest number of fatalities in at least 10 years. As of Nov. 30, 417 speed-related fatalities have occurred – a 12% increase over the number of deaths last year at the same time.

Of those surveyed, just 31% rated speed as a “very serious” problem. Conversely, 40% indicated speed was not a serious problem.

When asked why they speed, 43% of respondents said they are following the speed of surrounding traffic, while 23% indicated that the posted speed limits seem too low. Full survey results can be viewed at TZDVA.org.