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EnCompass^® The AAA Companion

May \| June 2004 Volume 78 Issue 3

Insurance & Financial Services

Speeding: The neglected safety issue

Motorists beware: State governments are paying more attention to the costs and dangers of speeding. And so should you.

"There's a perception by drivers that everyone speeds and it is an accepted necessity of our hectic lifestyles," says Kathryn Swanson, chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association. Recently released research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that in 2001, speeding was a factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, killing an average of 1,000 Americans each month.

According to the NHTSA, speed influences crashes in four basic ways:

It increases the distance a vehicle travels from when a driver detects an emergency until the driver reacts.
It increases the distance needed to stop a vehicle once an emergency is perceived.
Crash severity increases by the square of the speed. A frontal impact at 35 mph, for example, is one-third more violent than one at 30 mph.
Higher crash speeds reduce the ability of vehicles, restraint systems and roadway hardware such as guardrails and barriers to protect occupants.

Speeding about? Think about insurance rates

(Editor's Note: Speeding has caught the attention of state governments and the media as a growing safety issue. The consequences of getting caught may become more costly. The following is an excerpt from a recent article in USA Today.)

Admit it: Even if you're an otherwise safe driver, you don't always observe the posted speed limit. Well, here's one reason you may want to lighten up on the accelerator: A speeding ticket could significantly increase your auto insurance premiums.

A recent analysis by USA Today found that Americans are driving faster than ever. But the everyone-is-doing-it argument doesn't hold much water in the insurance business. Industry officials say a driver who receives a speeding ticket has a greater statistical likelihood of getting involved in an accident.

Numerous studies by highway safety experts show that "the faster you go, the more deadly it is," says Jeanne Salvatore, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, an industry research group.

If you're cited for speeding, your insurer may tack a temporary surcharge on your policy for three years. And the cost of speeding isn't limited to your car insurance. Other lines of insurance may also look at your driving record when deciding whether you're a high-risk customer.

Maybe drivers should give insurance costs more consideration when they press the pedal to the floor. Nationally, auto insurance rates are expected to rise by 6% in 2004, following an estimated 8.5% increase in 2003, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Excerpt from USA Today
www.usatoday.com

Speeding Tickets Top 5, by occupation

Source: Quality Planning Corporation

AAA Insurance & Financial Services

AAA Insurance is an independent insurance agency that offers products from several highly rated national insurers, including Safeco, Travelers, Progressive, Hartford, Allied, AAA Life, John Hancock and others. Products available through AAA Insurance include auto, home, life, umbrella, and long-term care.

For information about AAA insurance products, call AAA Colorado toll-free at 866-399-9836, or click on Insurance at www.aaa.com.

AAA Colorado also offers various financial services that include the "AAA Visa" card, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts.

For information about AAA deposit products, call 1-800-526-7120. For information about the "AAA Visa" card, call 303-753-8800, click on Financial at www.aaa.com or obtain an application at any AAA office.

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