RESEARCH CONFIRMS THE OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF SPEEDING

ENVIRONMENT AND MAN, INC. INITIATED A GENERAL SURVEY OF "HOT PURSUITS" CONDUCTED BY THE POLICE. THE STUDY SHOWS THAT EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 6,000 TO 8,000 ACCIDENTS RESULT FROM HOT PURSUITS. THE RESULT OF THIS IS 300 TO 400 PERSONS KILLED AND 2,500 TO 5,000 PEOPLE INJURED. THE PERSONS MOST USUALLY INJURED ARE THE FLEEING DRIVER, HIS PASSENGERS, OR INNOCENT BYSTANDERS. IN MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THE CASES, A TRAFFIC VIOLATION IS THE CAUSE OF THE CHASE. RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT MALE DRIVERS UNDER THE AGE OF 24 ACCOUNTED FOR 75 PERCENT OF THOSE ARRESTED FOR FLEEING POLICE AND THAT ALCOHOL PLAYED A ROLE IN AT LEAST HALF OF THE CASES. APPROXIMATELY 15 PERCENT OF THESE DRIVERS DID NOT HAVE A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE. BUT SPEED AND DEATH ARE NOT LIMITED TO POLICE CHASES. A STUDY OF AMBULANCE ACCIDENTS REVEALED THAT, IN SWEDEN, SPEEDING AMBULANCES ARE EIGHT TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAN AUTOMOBILES TRAVELING WITHIN THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT. THE SPACE BIOLOGY GROUP OF THE BRAIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT UCLA IS CURRENTLY, TESTING DRIVER REACTION UNDER STRESS. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROLMEN ARE EQUIPPED WITH TRANSISTORIZED HELMETS THAT MEASURE BRAINWAVES, HEART ACTION AND EYE MOVEMENT DURING DRIVING TESTS.

• Publication Date: 1972-3

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 24
• Serial:
  • JOURNAL OF AMERICAN INSURANCE
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue Number: 2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatalities; Injuries; Speed; Studies; Traffic crashes; Traffic speed
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Old TRIS Terms: Speed studies
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221665
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 24 1972 12:00AM