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A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) explores how speeding has become normalized on today’s roads. The findings imply that many drivers aren’t speeding simply to save time, they’re often convincing themselves that speeding is the right choice for the situation.*
“Findings from this research show that some drivers in the United States view speeding as a normal part of driving,” said Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.” When people take cues from surrounding traffic instead of following posted speed limits, it creates a culture that makes crashes more difficult to prevent and roads less safe for everyone.”
Drivers’ Reasons or Rationalizations for Speeding
- To get around slower drivers (31%).
- To reach their destination faster (25%).
- To avoid holding up traffic (21%).
Drivers’ Reasons or Rationalizations to Slow Down
- To avoid getting a ticket (79%).
- To avoid being involved in a crash (72%).
- Bad weather (60%).
The report also postulates that drivers generally prefer countermeasures that encourage safer speeds over those that physically force them to slow down. Drivers expressed strong support for increased police presence in areas with a history (87%) or potential (88%) for speed-related crashes, and roughly seven in ten supported automated speed cameras in those locations. Drivers also viewed advisory Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) – in-vehicle warnings or alerts when a driver exceeds the speed limit – more favorably than technology that automatically limits vehicle speed.**
[Support declined for countermeasures that remove driver choice. Although more than nine in ten drivers believed speed humps are effective, fewer than half supported installing them in their own neighborhoods. Support for ISA decreased as the technology became more restrictive, such as if the driver could not override the system – AutoCrat.]
“There is no silver bullet for addressing traffic safety risks caused by speeding,” Dr. Yang said. “Understanding which strategies drivers are most willing to adopt can help policymakers and safety professionals develop interventions that are both effective and publicly acceptable.”
*AutoInformed on
** Steinbach, R., McDonough, J., Hungund, A., Kasha, A., & Bai, X. (2026). Attitudes Toward Speeding: Insights from Focus Groups and a National Survey of U.S. Drivers (Technical Report). Washington, D.C.: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
AAA Foundation – Speeding and Counter Measures Growing
Click for more.
A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) explores how speeding has become normalized on today’s roads. The findings imply that many drivers aren’t speeding simply to save time, they’re often convincing themselves that speeding is the right choice for the situation.*
“Findings from this research show that some drivers in the United States view speeding as a normal part of driving,” said Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.” When people take cues from surrounding traffic instead of following posted speed limits, it creates a culture that makes crashes more difficult to prevent and roads less safe for everyone.”
Drivers’ Reasons or Rationalizations for Speeding
Drivers’ Reasons or Rationalizations to Slow Down
The report also postulates that drivers generally prefer countermeasures that encourage safer speeds over those that physically force them to slow down. Drivers expressed strong support for increased police presence in areas with a history (87%) or potential (88%) for speed-related crashes, and roughly seven in ten supported automated speed cameras in those locations. Drivers also viewed advisory Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) – in-vehicle warnings or alerts when a driver exceeds the speed limit – more favorably than technology that automatically limits vehicle speed.**
[Support declined for countermeasures that remove driver choice. Although more than nine in ten drivers believed speed humps are effective, fewer than half supported installing them in their own neighborhoods. Support for ISA decreased as the technology became more restrictive, such as if the driver could not override the system – AutoCrat.]
“There is no silver bullet for addressing traffic safety risks caused by speeding,” Dr. Yang said. “Understanding which strategies drivers are most willing to adopt can help policymakers and safety professionals develop interventions that are both effective and publicly acceptable.”
*AutoInformed on
** Steinbach, R., McDonough, J., Hungund, A., Kasha, A., & Bai, X. (2026). Attitudes Toward Speeding: Insights from Focus Groups and a National Survey of U.S. Drivers (Technical Report). Washington, D.C.: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.