The Olympics are in full swing and at the time of this writing America was in second place for the highest number of gold medals. This weekend’s schedule is filled with various track and field events where pushing for faster and faster speeds can win you a shot at a gold medal. Unfortunately, speeding while behind the wheel will not earn you the same accolades. It could easily earn you a ticket or worse, have deadly consequences.
If you have a need for speed, did you know it’s really not saving you that much time? The average driver only saves about 26 seconds a day or 2 minutes a week by speeding. And the faster you drive, the less time you save. If you go from 40 mph to 50 mph you are saving about three minutes. However, if you go from 80 to 90 mph you are only saving 50 seconds. Is the risk of your life or that of others who share your vehicle or the road with you worth a few measly minutes?
In 2024 in Iowa, 169 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of 7 since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf