There are many ways a driver can cause another motorist to suffer an injury. Violating another vehicle’s right of way, distracted driving and following too closely are just a few of the common causes of car accidents.
But another factor that can contribute to car accidents, despite being almost ubiquitous, is often overlooked. Speeding not only reduces the amount of time a driver has to react to threats, it also has the potential to exacerbate the severity of injuries if a collision does occur.
In certain areas of San Francisco, speeding is far too common, and it is leading to a high number of accidents. On August 29, police in South San Francisco flooded three city streets that have been plagued by serious accidents recently. The goal of the saturation patrol? Curb excessive speeding.
Officers focused on Westborough, Sister Cities and Hillside boulevards. Equipped with infrared lasers, specially trained officers in the saturation patrol issued 61 citations over the course of the day.
These patrols are aimed at getting drivers to slow down on some of the most dangerous streets in the area. Unfortunately, the deterrent effect of a speeding ticket is not always enough to keep a driver from engaging in dangerous behavior. Every driver has had the experience of cruising along at or even slightly above the speed limit only to see other motorists zipping by and tailgating.
Drivers who engage in dangerous behavior like speeding have to bear the consequences. Sometimes that means paying a relatively minor speeding ticket; other times, it means being held accountable in a court of law for causing injuries in a motor vehicle crash.
Source: CBS SF, “61 Speeding Citations Issued On South San Francisco Streets Plagued By Accidents,” Aug. 31, 2014
