Let’s ask the moronic question: why is speeding bad?
Going faster obviously gets you where you need to be quicker. So, what is wrong with going faster than the road signs tell you to?
According to the FMCSA, speeding of any kind was the most frequent driver-related factor for Drivers of both large trucks or passenger vehicles getting into accidents that led to fatalities. Speed is a contributing factor in a whopping 17% of truck crashes leading to at least one large truck occupant dying.
Because speeding is so heavily tied to injuries and fatalities, there are very strict laws when it comes to speeding, especially for semi-trucks.
Plainly put, speeding is bad because it can very easily lead to injury and death.
The statistics get so much worse when you include adverse weather conditions.
According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 25% of speeding-related fatalities involving large trucks occur during adverse weather conditions.
This leads to the next dumb question we should ask: what are the kinds of speeding?
Any Driver worth their salt can tell you, there are two different kinds of speeding. There is going too fast for road conditions. And there is going faster than the posted speed limit.
Going faster than the posted speed limit is self-explanatory.
Quoting the FMCSA on the what it means to go too fast for road conditions:
“…driving too fast for conditions is defined as traveling at a speed that is greater than a reasonable standard for safe driving.”
Some of the most common kinds of conditions where it is advised to slow down are icy roadways, fog, constructions zones, curves, and heavy traffic.
There are so very easy ways to know when you should slow down and to what speed.
To put it simply, slow down when there is anything that could impact your control of the vehicle.
On wet roads you should reduce your speed by 1/3rd. If normal road conditions say the speed limit is 60 mph, you should slow to 40 mph.
On snow packed roads you should reduce your speed by half. If the normal posted speed limit is 60 mph, you should slow your vehicle down to 30 mph.
Not only does this help you to maintain control of your truck, your need for stopping distance is decreased.
Sometimes it feels like you need to speed to stay up with traffic or to get to a location on time. But the reward of arriving at your location a few minutes early is never worth the risk of your life and the lives of other motorists.
