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June law of the month

Save money by slowing down

With no end in sight to record-high gas prices, many motorists are taking significant steps to cut their driving costs, such as buying more fuel-efficient vehicles or using alternative forms of transportation.

Yet one of the best ways to lessen the pain at the gas pump is often ignored-obeying speed limits. This common-sense practice pays off in two ways.

• By slowing down, you'll save gas. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, each 5 mph over 60 mph equals paying an additional 20 cents per gallon.

• By obeying speed limits, you eliminate the risk of receiving extremely expensive speeding citations, which range from $160 for 1 to 10 mph over the limit all the way up to $501 for 45 mph or more over the limit. If you speed in a work zone, the fines double. Speeding citations also result in demerit points and possible suspensions that drive up insurance costs.

But the real cost of speeding is not financial. All too often, speeding has a far more tragic toll.

"In Wisconsin, someone is killed or injured in a speed-related crash every 51 minutes. Speeding makes crashes more violent and drastically reduces survivability for drivers and passengers," says State Patrol Superintendent David Collins. "If they're over the speed limit, drivers often can't react or stop in time to prevent or avoid a crash. They also may lose control of their vehicle and fail to negotiate curves. Furthermore, drivers traveling at high speeds on the open road tend to not slow down sufficiently when approaching intersections, construction zones or slower vehicles."

To save lives and prevent serious injuries, the State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies are intensifying their enforcement of speed limits this summer.

"Stringent enforcement is needed because speeding is all too prevalent on highways and local roads. In 2007, there were nearly one-quarter million speeding convictions in Wisconsin, including approximately 146,000 for 11 to 19 mph over the limit. Speeding is by far the most common traffic conviction in Wisconsin," says Superintendent Collins.

Despite the expense and dangers of speeding, too many people willingly exceed posted limits just to save a little time. But as Superintendent Collins points out, "If you're stopped for speeding or are involved in a crash, you will be delayed for a lot longer than it takes to drive the speed limit."

Previous "Laws of the Month"

Questions about the content of this page:
Steve L. Olson, steven.olson@dot.state.wi.us 
Last modified: May 30, 2008