Drivers are so used to speeding, which is a leading cause of fatal crashes, that nearly a third of them are convinced that "no one actually drives the speed limit," according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The study, released April 18, found that speeding has become "so common that many drivers consider going 10 mph over the posted speed limit acceptable" and nearly half believe that "keeping up with traffic" is safer than obeying the speed limit.
The AAA study is significant because speeding is a preventable cause of fatal crashes. The findings suggest many drivers are ignoring posted limits, which may be putting them — and others — at risk, and that more education or enforcement could lead to fewer traffic deaths.
"Too many drivers have convinced themselves that speeding is just part of driving," Adrienne Woodland, a spokeswoman for the auto club, said. "The reality is that crashes don't care what's considered normal. The faster you're going, the less time you have to avoid a dangerous situation."
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The study results also help explain why Michigan State Police stepped up speed-enforcement patrols last month.
In 2024, speeding was a factor in nearly 30% of traffic fatalities nationally, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is the latest year for which the data is available. And in Michigan that year, speed-related crashes killed 177 people.
Speeding, state police warned, is a "leading and persistent contributor" to deadly traffic crashes and "drivers who choose to exceed safe speeds dramatically raise the risk of catastrophic collisions, endangering passengers, other motorists and all roadway users."
A new study suggests many drivers are ignoring posted limits, which may be putting them — and others — at risk.
Michigan had 22,260 speed-involved crashes in 2024, an increase of 4.2% from the year before, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Single motor vehicle crashes were the most common crash type associated with speed-involved incidents.
In many cases, the study found, drivers speed to get around slower drivers, want to reach their destination faster or don't want to hold up traffic. And some drivers just don't expect enforcement until they are traveling roughly 10 to 12 mph above the posted speed limit.
The study, which included a survey of 16,000 drivers, found the threat of a ticket seemed to be the strongest incentive for people to slow down. Drivers also said they are most likely to reduce their speed to avoid getting a ticket, avoid a crash and in response to bad weather.
State police have suggested enforcement may be working.
And, the study also found, drivers supported targeted speed enforcement, an increased police presence in areas with a history of and potential for speed-related crashes, and automated speed enforcement cameras in those locations.
Drivers also seemed to approve of warning systems that alert them when they're speeding, but not technology that actively limits vehicle speed, and they thought speed humps were effective but not that supportive of installing them in their own neighborhoods.
"There's a lot of pressure to go with the flow of traffic, especially when everyone around you seems to be speeding," Woodland said. "But safe driving isn't about matching the fastest vehicle on the road. It's about making sure you have enough time to see a problem, react, and avoid a crash."
