Governors Highway Safety Association
The States' Voice on Highway Safety

Issue Overview

Speeding is a contributing factor in traffic fatalities nationwide. In 2022, there were 12,151 deaths and more than 300,000 injuries caused by speeding-related crashes. The 12,151 fatalities was down 2.8% from the year before but 6.3% above the 11,428 fatalities in 2020 (Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2022, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Speeding-related crashes accounted for 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2022.

Speeding is often one component of aggressive driving, which NHTSA defines as "committing a combination of moving traffic offenses [that] endanger other persons or property." Some states have passed aggressive driving laws that delineate these traffic offenses, which include speeding, red-light running, failure to yield, following too closely, improper passing and more.

To make progress in achieving zero deaths on our nation's roadways, emphasis must be given to addressing speeding and aggressive driving with the same intensity as seat belt use and impaired driving.

GHSA was one of the first national safety organizations to sound the alarm about excessive speeding observed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As this public health crisis – and the uptick in excessive speeding – stretched into 2021, GHSA released reports on pedestrians, who are often put at risk by speeding drivers, and teen drivers, who are more likely than other motorists to be involved in speeding-related fatal crashes.

State are combating speeding and aggressive driving through increased data-driven enforcement, technological advances and public information and education programs that focus on the dangers of engaging in this behavior, provide tips for safe driving and/or publicize upcoming high visibility enforcement, a proven countermeasure for bolstering driver compliance with posted speed limits. Some SHSOs specifically focus their efforts on school and work zones, since approaches in these areas have a higher degree of public support.

Speed Management Pilot Project

GHSA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Road Safety Foundation partnered to fund and evaluate a speed management pilot project in Maryland that was completed in the summer of 2022. During the pilot project, average speeds fell 9% and the odds that a vehicle on the road was speeding dropped by three-quarters. The effects largely faded once the measures were discontinued.

GHSA Policy

Featured Initiative

State Laws Overview

Speeding

Setting speed limits has traditionally been the responsibility of states, except for the period of 1973-1994. During that time, the federal government enacted mandatory speed limit ceilings on interstate highways and similar limited access roads through a National Maximum Speed Limit.

Congress repealed the National Maximum Speed Limit in 1995. Since then, 41 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portion of their roadway systems.

In many states, maximum speeds vary depending on vehicle type (car or truck), roadway location (urban or rural), or time of day. GHSA tracks state maximum speed limits for both urban and rural interstates, as well as other limited access roads.

In a few states, speed limits are not set by law.

Aggressive Driving

The term aggressive driving covers a range of unsafe driver behaviors. State laws define what constitutes aggressive driving and stipulate the related fines and penalties. Often, a driver must demonstrate more than one action to be considered aggressive.

To date, 15 states have addressed aggressive driving in their legislatures.

11 states have passed laws specifically defining aggressive driving actions.

  • California and Utah have amended existing reckless driving laws to include actions similar to those defined as "aggressive" by other states.
  • Pennsylvania has passed a resolution against aggressive driving.
  • New Jersey enforces agressive driving under existing laws.

NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on speed limit or aggressive driving laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office (SHSO).

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and SHSOs.

Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2024.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

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