Guest Editorial: Makes No Sense to Speed - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Guest Editorial: Makes No Sense to Speed

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We all need  information to help us make decisions , and we often use that data in a risk / benefit analysis of the situation.

There's one risky decision many of us make far too often; speeding.  And even though we may think the benefits outweigh the risk, the information would suggest otherwise.

If you speed so you can get there quicker, consider this.  On a 10 mile interstate commute each additional mile per hour you drive only gets you there 7 seconds sooner.   Go 10 miles over the limit and you only gain one minute.  And that speeding ticket in Alabama could cost you $130 or more. Do the math.  Do you make $7,800 per hour?

Since this is spring break week, consider a 170 mile trip to the beach.  Each extra mile per hour gains you a mere 2 minutes on the entire trip.  10 miles over the limit and you only get 18 extra minutes on the beach.  And for teenagers who make minimum wage, that ticket will cost you 18 hours of pay at your job.

There's also the cost of gasoline.  Speeding is inefficient.   According to the U.S. Department of Energy each 5 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas.

Of course all this really begs the question of safety.  Speeding is a factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, killing an average of 1,000 Americans every month.

There are no rational reasons to speed.  Think it through.  The risk always outweighs the benefits.  Just don't speed.