Posted by: Alina Comoreanu

Speed kills. We have all been told that since driver’s education class, and yet American drivers routinely exceed the speed limit. Before you underestimate the danger of exceeding the speed limit, consider that in 2016, speeding was a factor in 27 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths. Speeding is costly, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the annual economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is $40.4 billion.

Another important issue is the impact of speeding on fuel consumption. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as a rule of thumb, you can assume that every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph will cost you 7 percent more for gasoline.

Some states are tougher on speeding and reckless drivers than others. To find out which states take the hardest line on dangerous driving behavior, WalletHub compared driving laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The results and our detailed methodology – along with expert commentary – can be found below.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask The Experts
3. Methodology

 

Main Findings

1=Strictest Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/14211/geochart.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2lVqyUE>

Strictest States on Speeding and Reckless Driving

Overall Rank (1=Strictest)	State	Overall Score	Reckless Penalties Rank	Speeding Enforcement Rank
1	Delaware	20.00	1	8
2	Colorado	18.00	2	11
T - 3	Arizona	17.00	7	2
T - 3	New Mexico	17.00	7	2
5	California	16.50	4	11
6	Oregon	16.00	6	8
7	North Carolina	14.50	12	5
T - 8	Illinois	14.00	16	4
T - 8	Virginia	14.00	25	1
T - 8	Alabama	14.00	7	19
T - 8	Washington	14.00	12	8
12	Arkansas	13.50	3	40
T - 13	West Virginia	12.50	5	36
T - 13	MaryLand	12.50	25	5
15	Kansas	12.00	7	32
16	Iowa	11.50	22	17
T - 17	Wyoming	11.00	11	32
T - 17	Vermont	11.00	12	29
T - 17	Georgia	11.00	25	17
T - 20	District Of Columbia	10.50	34	11
T - 20	New York	10.50	41	5
T - 20	Florida	10.50	34	11
T - 20	Rhode Island	10.50	25	19
T - 24	Hawaii	10.00	25	23
T - 24	Alaska	10.00	16	29
T - 24	Louisiana	10.00	40	11
T - 24	Maine	10.00	16	29
28	Idaho	9.50	12	40
T - 29	Missouri	8.50	41	19
T - 29	Tennessee	8.50	41	19
T - 29	Pennsylvania	8.50	45	11
T - 29	South Dakota	8.50	16	40
T - 29	Utah	8.50	25	32
T - 34	Indiana	8.00	41	23
T - 34	Connecticut	8.00	25	36
T - 34	Minnesota	8.00	25	36
T - 34	Nevada	8.00	22	40
T - 34	North Dakota	8.00	22	40
T - 39	Massachusetts	7.00	34	36
T - 39	New Hampshire	7.00	16	49
T - 39	Michigan	7.00	16	49
T - 39	Wisconsin	7.00	45	23
T - 43	Kentucky	6.50	45	26
T - 43	Montana	6.50	33	45
T - 43	Ohio	6.50	45	26
T - 43	South Carolina	6.50	45	26
T - 47	Nebraska	6.00	34	45
T - 47	New Jersey	6.00	34	45
T - 49	Oklahoma	5.50	34	48
T - 49	Mississippi	5.50	45	32
51	Texas	2.50	45	51

• Nearly three quarters of the states and DC have “absolute” speed limits, which means that exceeding the limit is enough evidence for a conviction. But about 26 percent of the states leave room for interpretation with “prima facie” laws — or a “mixed” combination of absolute and prima facie rules — allowing speeders to argue in court that their speed was in fact reasonable.
• Reckless drivers should expect, on average, to spend at least one day in jail for their first offense and three days for their second offense.
• In most states drivers are subject to license suspension under a point system. Your first offense might not get your license suspended, but enough accumulation of points will. On average, point penalties for speeding will get you 30 percent closer to a suspension.
• The average maximum cost of a ticket for reckless driving is $845, with the lowest being $100 (in Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico and Ohio) and the highest at approximately $6,250 (Oregon).
• More than half (52 percent) of states do not automatically cite drivers for reckless driving based on a specific speed threshold or a specific number of mph over the limit.
• 42 percent of states and DC use speed cameras to automatically catch and fine speeding drivers.

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Ask The Experts

To understand the total cost of speeding to society – and what can be done to reduce its occurrence – we consulted a panel of traffic safety experts. Click on their profiles below to read their bios and insights on the following key questions:

1. As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving?
2. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption?
3. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding?
4. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits?

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• Francois Dion Ph.D Senior Development Engineer at Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH), University of California, Berkeley
• Matthew G. Nagler Associate Professor of Economics at City College of New York, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
• Kara Kockelman E.P. Schoch Professor in Engineering in the Department of Civil, Architectural & Environmental Engineering at University of Texas at Austin
• John L. Lastovicka Professor of Marketing at Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business
• Sherif Ishak Lloyd J. Guillory Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Engineering Science Program at Louisiana State University, College of Engineering
• Yiannis Papelis Research Professor at Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling Analysis & Simulation Center
• Rahim (Ray) F. Benekohal Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Anurag Pande Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Cal Poly State University
• Virginia P. Sisiopiku Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering and Director of the Transportation Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Francois Dion Ph.D Senior Development Engineer at Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH), University of California, Berkeley As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? This is a difficult problem to tackle, as road rage may also be affected by cultural changes, such as the rise of a more self-centered culture, which can lead to a decrease in courtesy and civility. In many cases, tempers get shorter because we do not know what is happening, why there is congestion. A practical solution to help reduce temper flaring has been to provide motorists with more information about road condition ahead, such as travel times to reference points, location of incident ahead, etc. - since motorists know what to expect, they tend to remain calmer. However, the provision of such information is often constrained by a limited number of means to disseminate information (few freeway electronic signs for instance). Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? My understanding is the 55 mph national speed limit was imposed as a means to reduce fuel consumption after the fuel shortage crisis of the mid-1970s. The problem with this law is that it was largely disregarded, and was seen as an annoyance and impediment to economic activities. Gas price have probably been a more effective influencing factors to improve vehicle fuel consumption, as price spikes have pushed motorists to buy smaller cars or more fuel-efficient vehicles. The 55 mph was probably more effective are reducing accidents and fatalities (slower speeds means less severe accidents) than at reducing fuel consumption. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Various measures have been used effectively:

• Installation of speed bumps on residential streets
• Conversion of intersections into roundabouts (traffic circles), as these forces vehicle to slow down to negotiate an intersection
• Narrowing street width or lane width through curb extensions or the installation of chokers (small curb extensions at selected locations), to make the road looks like a more constrained environment.
• Reducing the number of lanes on an arterial, for instance going from a 2-lane configuration in each direction to a 1-lane configuration per direction with bike lanes or added parking space. This is known as “road diet” and has attracted significant attention from cities in recent years.
• Converting one-way streets into two-way streets.

Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? In this case, I think that education is the key. Young drivers need to know the risks associated with speeding. Since they have a lack of driving experience, it is difficult for them to fully appreciate the risks (accident and injury risks to themselves or others, not to mention potential high monetary costs associated with accidents). Graduated licenses, where younger drivers have few demerit points, also probably help. Matthew G. Nagler Associate Professor of Economics at City College of New York, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? The traditional approach to managing these problems is stronger enforcement. For example, municipalities and states might employ more patrolmen or highway officers to look for the tell-tale signs of aggressive driving and issue summonses for violators. Some states try to enlist other drivers to police aggressive driving, asking them to call a hotline, for example, to report observed problems. These approaches may be useful, but only to a point. Greater success might be achieved by trying to resolve the underlying causes. Studies I have performed over the past several years using data on traffic crashes suggest that highway safety is closely linked to something called social capital - the strength of interpersonal ties within a community of people, and particularly their degree of trust of one another. My research shows a consistent link between higher degrees of both interpersonal trust and communal ties and lower rates of traffic crashes and deaths. My findings suggest that one thing we can do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving is to build stronger and more stable communities. This could be achieved by investing in community institutions, as well as institutions that bind communities together within a regional context (for example, investment in parks, recreational opportunities, and holiday or seasonal events at the county level). Additionally, research suggests that better funding for education improves social capital. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? While there’s no question that high speeds are less fuel efficient, many other factors play perhaps a more prominent role in fuel efficiency. These include vehicle size and weight - SUVs and other light trucks are of course worse than small cars - and engine type - hybrids and electric vehicles are of course better than conventional vehicles. Also important is not just how fast you drive, but how you drive. Do you take your foot on and off the gas pedal a lot? Do you engage in a lot of jack rabbit starts? Smoother driving and gradual acceleration have been shown to improve fuel efficiency. Using cruise control on the highway, if your car has it, can be a big help. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Research shows that road and neighborhood design can indeed play an important role in reducing speeding and improving traffic safety. Some things are obvious - speed bumps and signage (saying, for example, “slow - children”) have an impact. But so do less obvious things: simply lining a street with trees can calm traffic. So does removing yellow lines from the middle of roads, adding bike lanes and crosswalks, and so forth. Such measures are in extensive use throughout Europe. Some communities in the U.S. use them, too, but they could be much more extensively implemented here. Kara Kockelman E.P. Schoch Professor in Engineering in the Department of Civil, Architectural & Environmental Engineering at University of Texas at Austin As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? Allowing other drivers to report license plate numbers of reckless driving behaviors (along with other basic information, like time of day, type of vehicle, and roadway where behavior occurred) can be a helpful policy. Other infractions (e.g., pickup trucks and SUVs that have their hitch point out [which causes a lot of bumper damage in parking lots and to any following car who gets too close], excessively tinted windows, smoking tailpipes) can also be reported at such websites, and letters issued to warn the vehicle’s registered owner that complaints are being filed. This practice makes drivers more accountable, helping reduce the anonymity and other protection that many feel on today’s roads, which has helped foster poor behaviors. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? Modern-day vehicles maintain maximum fuel economy up to speeds of 60 or 65 mi per hour, but 70 and 75 mph travel is less efficient. Stop-and-go driving under congested conditions and aggressive acceleration on ramps and elsewhere result in some of the poorest fuel economy, however. It is important to moderate one’s behavior, and simply buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle. We are very fortunate that the current Administration takes fuel economy seriously, and CAFÉ laws were changed the first month President Obama took office. If Americans were perfectly rational consumers, most would be buying hybrid versions of their vehicles. And, if people care about their grandchildren’s and other people grandchildren’s inherited climate, they’d be driving much smaller vehicles, hybrids, electric or plug-in hybrids. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Speeds go down with road humps and bumps, but those can be tough on patients in the back of an ambulance and are simply not advisable for higher speed roadways. Curvature, narrowed lanes, limited sight distances, and roundabouts (rather than green lights) can also bring down speeds, while waking up drivers, so they are less likely to nod off or be distracted. But they have to have forgiving edges and such, to avoid creating some dangerous crashes. Europe has far more experience with such techniques than the U.S. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? Graduated licensing laws have had very serious benefits in helping young drivers become more experienced before taking on more complicated driving. Disallowing young drivers on freeways and high-speed highways may be helpful, but some home locations have few options for destinations if their residents cannot enter a high-speed roadway. Smartphone apps allow parents to see travel speeds of their children, and more automated cars probably will allow for speed “governors” (to be placed on a vehicle when the owner wishes to limit top speeds - of his/her children, for example). Eventually, smart cars may not allow certain exceedance levels of speed limits, everywhere in the network, depending on the restrictions the owner sets, which can help protect young drivers (& everyone else) from themselves. For more speed- and safety-related papers visit this site. John L. Lastovicka Professor of Marketing at Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? We need to think out-of-the-box more often. I believe states and municipalities are better-served by thinking more broadly about public transportation systems and investing in alternative transportation modes. For example, subscribers to the City of Chicago’s DIVVY bike sharing system have generated 8.5 million miles and 4 million shared-bicycle trips in the past two year that otherwise would have burdened Chicago streets with those additional millions of trips and miles. With fewer cars on the road, I suspect a reduction in drivers’ rage and aggression. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? From my research in the 1980s for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation on using the mass media to deter young-male drinking and driving, I know that young drivers (relative to older drivers) are more prone toward a thrill-seeking personality tendency that psychologists call Sensation Seeking. This need for thrills is often satisfied by speeding and drinking and driving. Given that this is a hard-wired natural need among many young people, then channeling satisfaction of that need via other means makes sense. Again, this means thinking more broadly. To take just one example, skate boarding parks allow young males to satiate the need for thrills; more importantly, skating in dedicated parks also keeps them off the road. I understand that building skate board facilities is expensive. However, the cost of traffic fatalities is much more expensive. It is well documented that traffic accidents which involve speeding are substantially more likely to result in fatalities. Sherif Ishak Lloyd J. Guillory Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Engineering Science Program at Louisiana State University, College of Engineering As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? As traffic conditions worsen and heavy congestion develops on various parts of the transportation network such as freeways and major arterials, driver frustration and road rage intensify primarily because of the uncertainty and the associated loss of system reliability in estimating the travel time for the remaining part of the driver’s trip. As trip makers, our goal is to reach our destination as quickly and safely as possible. When mobility is impeded by prevailing traffic conditions, some drivers become more aggressive and tend to compromise safety for the lost mobility. While active traffic management strategies may offer solutions that alleviate traffic congestion in some situations, it is very unlikely that government agencies and state departments of transportation can ever develop permanent solutions to eliminate congestion due the continuous increase in traffic demand and decrease in resources. There are, however, low cost solutions to mitigate the impact of congestion on driving behavior and increased level of aggressiveness. One of the viable options offered by Intelligent Transportation Systems, as well as technological innovation for connected and automated vehicles, is real time and short term predicted travel time information, which reduces the uncertainty and increases the driver’s confidence in the transportation system. With the ever increasing deployment of traffic monitoring devices on critical elements of our surface transportation network, this real time information not only helps traffic management agencies with their day to day operation and management functions, but it also keeps road users informed of the traffic conditions along their routes, and in many cases, serves as a tool for rerouting traffic to bypass congested routes whenever possible. In essence, keeping the drivers informed of traffic conditions most of the time via all available information dissemination methods helps reduce the uncertainty in travel time estimation, and consequently, alleviates the degree of frustration and the subsequent manifestation of road rage. As humans we are more productive and we make better decisions when we are well informed. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? Recent studies showed that fuel economy is observed at higher speeds than the 55 mph limit. A few suggested that maximum fuel efficiency occurs at speed as high as 65mph, depending on the car make and engine power. While higher speed limits may decrease fuel efficiency, they also result in travel time savings which translate to reduced overall travel cost based on value of time. It should also be noted that today’s vehicle engines are far more advanced and fuel efficient than they were in the past. Higher fuel efficiency also results in less fuel consumption and loss of fuel tax revenue for the Highway Trust Fund. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Speed bumps, road curves, roundabouts, and lane narrowing are among the most effective traffic calming devices. Their effectiveness, however, largely depends on the location at which they are installed or implemented. Due to safety considerations, such devices are not suitable on roadways whose primary function is mobility. Rather, they are more appropriate for neighborhood streets and local roads. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? Reward programs through reduction of insurance premium can be used as incentives for young drivers who obey the speed limit. This can be achieved by deploying vehicle tracking devices to monitor the trajectory of vehicles driven by young drivers and comparing their speeds with the speed limit along roadway segments. Young drivers also must receive adequate training and education on traffic safety prior to being issued a driver’s license. Yiannis Papelis Research Professor at Old Dominion University's Virginia Modeling Analysis & Simulation Center As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? Road rage is a complicated subject that is linked to numerous factors many of which transcend conditions on the roadways and hence beyond a state’s ability to directly control. At the same time, there are well known conditions that are likely to create road rage; these include heavy traffic and excessive delays, difficult to navigate roadways, detours, construction, and complicated signage. Alleviating such conditions to the extent possible is where states can focus, along with public campaigns as well as enforcement. Heavy traffic and delays due to overpopulation is hard to address – building new roads is expensive, politically charged and lags traffic growth. At the same time, limiting construction to off-peak hours can minimize the increased load and stress on the roadways and drivers. Minimizing or eliminating situations where drivers need to arbitrate “who goes first” is another relatively easy area of improvement. Merging Intersections, especially at high traffic times create situations in which some drivers feel they need to protect their space; a sign indicating “take turns merging” can provide arbitration guidance and defuse any tensions that may arise in such situations. Clearly marked roadways and appropriate signage is another relatively low cost investment, especially in states with higher than average number of visitors who may slow down excessively while trying to interpret signs or find their way in unknown/hard to navigate roadways. An appropriate level of law enforcement is also critical. Whereas we all know drivers that were pulled over for driving over the speed limit, it is rare to see a person pulled over for driving dangerously below the speed limit, failing to yield or for exhibiting behaviors that have been shown to trigger road rage acts. Finally, it is important that states utilize public informational campaigns to educate and guide the public not only on recognizing and avoiding road rage (and road-ragers) but also pointing out behaviors that can trigger road rage. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? It is a well-known fact that fuel consumption increases exponentially with higher speeds. This is because once a vehicle travels above about 45 mph, a large percentage of energy produced by the engine is used to fight air resistance rather than propel the vehicle. On top of this, air resistance grows disproportionally faster than speed. For example, a 10% increase in speed (from 60 to 66 mph) creates air resistance that is significantly higher than 10%. The higher the speed, the more pronounced the effect. There is a reason that Formula 1 cars look more like low flying airplanes than vehicles! Beyond basic physics however, there is confluence of factors that has significantly reduced motivation for consumers to demand improved fuel efficiency. Across the spectrum improvements in vehicle technologies such as use of lighter materials, improved aerodynamics, advanced engine technologies and increased use of hybrid-electric propulsion systems have maintained average consumption the same despite the increase in speeds. And most importantly, historically low oil prices have significantly reduced any motivation drivers have to be concerned about fuel consumption, either in terms of driving habits or vehicle choices. This leaves only government regulations through enforcement of CAFE standards as the only factor driving improvements in fuel efficiency. Despite this, in the future, I expect to see drastic reductions in fuel consumption through advanced propulsion technologies that depend on non-fossil fuels. One such example is use of electric vehicles that can be charged through excess grid capacity during off-peak hours. As technology matures and proves itself and consumers have time to absorb the potential benefits, widespread use of electric vehicles has the potential of significant reduction in our fuel consumption. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Traffic engineers and human factors scientists have long known that there are two inherent speed limits associated with each road: the legal, posted speed limit and what is referred to as the “natural speed” limit, i.e., a speed at which average drivers feel safe driving that stretch of road. Several research studies and practical examples have validated this delineation, for example, over the last few years the speed limit within several sections of I-15 in Utah have been increased to 70 and in some cases 80 mph. Despite the increase, actual driving speeds have changed little, if any; this suggests that drivers will naturally select what feels safe given the road structure and drive that speed, versus blindly following a posted speed limit. At the same time, studies have shown that whereas higher speeds can be correlated with higher number of accidents, so can large differences in speeds among drivers on the same road. A highway with a relatively low posted speed limit has the potential of creating unsafe conditions due to the speed differential between drivers who drive at the natural speed and drivers who stick to the posted speed limit. This suggests that increasing safety requires careful selection of the posted speed limit; some have even recommended dynamic changes of the speed limit based on conditions. If the intention is to reduce the actual average speed at which drivers drive on a given roadway, changing the road design is a more effective approach when compared to simply posting a lower speed limit. Signs reflecting a driver’s speed have been shown to be effective, as have other means of “reminding” a driver that they are exceeding the limit. Such means include speed bumps, raised pavement markers that generate vibrations at higher speeds, etc. In addition to speed feedback techniques, road design can also be used to regulate traffic speeds. Studies in Europe have shown that driver’s speed within tunnels were reduced (without any changes to the posted speed) simply by painting stripes on the tunnel wall – the resultant increase in visual flow reduced the natural speed limit of the road and hence driver’s speed. Another design aspect that can greatly affect speed is the design of intersections. Intersections without curbs or curbs whose shape curves along the turn are designed to make it easier for drivers to maintain speed during 90 degree turns and generally lead to higher speeds. On the other hand, curbs that form a 90 degree corner cause drivers to slow down during curves and maintain overall lower speeds. In addition, such turns are more pedestrian friendly as they provide a platform for pedestrians to occupy before crossing. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? Safe driving requires fast reflexes and good decision making. Study after study has shown that good decision making is the dominant factor in safety so despite younger drivers’ superior reflexes, they lag grossly in decision making. Driving in excessive speed, engaging in activities that distract from driving, use of alcohol, subverting to peer pressure are a few of the ways younger drivers fail in exercising proper judgment. With that in mind, any state effort to address young driver safety should aim to legislate away practices that create conditions amenable to poor decision making whereas parents should increase the demonstration of good decision making. States have successfully implemented programs such as progressive licensure, with limited driving privileges at night, limitations in the number of teen-agers in a vehicle driven by a teen-ager and stricter penalties for new drivers. Maintaining such programs is very important to allow young drivers to transition through the difficult first few years. Parents on the other hand need to demonstrate sound decision making, hold teen-agers accountable and try to convey the level of responsibility entailed in operating a motor vehicle to their children. As any parent knows, kids will emulate what they see, not necessarily follow verbal instructions. In addition to demonstrating proper driving habits, parents need to instill a sense of responsibility and accountability in their children as it relates to driving. Police officers when receiving keys to their patrol vehicle and given their side-arm are frequently reminded that statistically their patrol vehicle is a much deadlier weapon than their side arm. In a similar vein, teen-agers need to understand that after obtaining a license is the first time in their life that they have the ability to cause a lot of harm to themselves and others. Such messages are better received from parents and in combination with exhibiting safe driving habits can be a potent combination in safeguarding against poor decision making on the part of teenage drivers. Rahim (Ray) F. Benekohal Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? Inform drivers about delay and congestion ahead of time and before they get to the congested site. Don’t create unnecessary construction zone with no work, and be prompt in returning the road back to normal conditions. Focus on informing/educating the drivers and not just on enforcement. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? It depends on the engine design of the cars. If a car engine is designed to be efficient at 65 mph then driving it at 55 may not be the most efficient speed. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Traffic calming measures are mostly for lower speed roads (residential or some arterials streets) not for freeways. You need to communicate (non-verbal communication) with the drivers that discourages them from speeding up. Straight and wide street in residential subdivisions general encourages higher speed (example of a bad non-verbal communication). Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? More education with hands-on training components. More multi-media messages on social networks. More emphasize in Driver Ed classes about the role of speed on severity and frequency of accidents. Anurag Pande Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Cal Poly State University As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? The term 'road rage' can refer to any display of aggression by a road user, but is often used to refer to the more extreme acts of such aggression, like physical assault. In the short-run, progressively increasing the penalties for road rage offenses similar to reckless-driving or impaired-driving offenses works. Mass media education could also be implemented to inform drivers of the risk from road rage and how to avoid such situations. In the long-run, structural changes leading to reduced congestion and higher usage of public transportation may be the most effective. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? Of course, the fuel consumption has risen due to rising of national speed limit and resulting higher average speeds. However, fuel savings due to advances in vehicular technology far outweigh the increased fuel consumption due to higher average speeds. In fact, with all the fuel savings we have now, jurisdictions around the country are having a harder time generating enough revenue from fuel taxes to pay for the critical infrastructure we need. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Speeding is among the most significant contributing factors to fatal collisions on the roads. First and foremost, appropriate speed limits based on results of recent spot speed surveys should be instituted. Speed limits that appear inconsistent may be ignored by the majority of drivers and this may contribute to lack of respect for speed limit and even other traffic laws. Perceptual pavement markings such as Peripheral transverse lines on the edge of pavements are good low-cost candidates for roads where speeding is known to play a role in either crash frequency or severity. In addition, rumble strips can be deployed on a transition from a high-speed zone to a low-speed zone. Young drivers have a harder time resisting the temptation to drive fast. What steps can states and parents take to help new drivers learn safe driving habits? There are apps such as driving buddy that combine use of social media and monitoring of driving behavior to assess and score young people's driving relative to their peers. To learn more about the expert, click on this site. Virginia P. Sisiopiku Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering and Director of the Transportation Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham As traffic worsens in many cities, drivers' tempers get shorter. What can states do to reduce road rage and aggressive driving? States can implement a 3-E approach to address the problem. The 3-E refers to Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. Engineering interventions are necessary to reduce the frequency and extent of traffic congestion. The use of new technologies as well as options that redistribute traffic demand over space and time can be effective countermeasures to reduce congestion and congestion-related impacts, including driver delays and frustration. Education of drivers about the negative effects of aggressive driving on traffic operations and safety is also important. As drivers understand better their rights and responsibilities when sharing the road with others, road rage and irresponsible driving are both less likely. Last but not least, enforcement is a tool to combat aggressive driving and other irresponsible driving behaviors. For instance, studies clearly show the reduction of red light running or speeding in the presence of automated enforcement using cameras. In fact, research confirms that drivers tend to commit fewer violations not only at enforcement sites but also at locations in the vicinity of such sites. Average highway speeds are much higher now than in the days of the national 55 mph speed limit. How has this affected efforts to reduce fuel consumption? A study by the Transportation Research Board in the 80’s revealed that an increase of the speed limit from 55 to 65 would result in an increase of the national fuel consumption by .018 percent. As reported by U.S. News: “Saving less than two tenths of one percent in fuel consumption seems a poor tradeoff for putting 200 million motorists through the misery of going back to a 1930s speed limit.” Keeping in mind that only 1.2 percent of the nation's 3.8 million roadway miles are interstate highway, one can see that maintaining a speed limit of 55mph on interstate highways can have only a limited effect on reducing fuel consumption. Thus, in the recent years, efforts to reduce fuel consumption have shifted from adjusting the national speed limits to creating more efficient vehicles, introducing hybrid vehicles and alternative fuel use vehicles, and promoting use of transit alternatives and non-motorized modes. What road design & traffic calming measures have been shown to be effective at reducing speeding? Traffic calming is the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for non-motorized street users. Traffic calming involves changes in street alignment, installation of barriers, and other physical measures to reduce traffic speeds and/or cut-through volumes in the interest of street safety, livability, and other public purposes. Commonly used traffic calming techniques include raised pavement areas, speed humps, reduced street areas, curb extensions, street closures, traffic diverters, roundabouts, to name a few. Before and after studies at multiple retrofitted locations show an average reduction in speeds by 7.6mph (22% reduction) due to the introduction of 12’ humps. Half closures led to 6mph lower speeds (19% reduction) while replacement of a cross intersection by a roundabout resulted in nearly 4% reduction in speeds (11% reduction).

Methodology

To measure the strictness of states’ laws against speeding, WalletHub collected data for all 50 states and D.C. on the following metrics and applied the corresponding scores. The strictest states will have the highest scores. We then summed the scores for speeding and reckless driving in order to obtain a final rank for each state.

Speeding

1. Speeding Automatically Considered Reckless Driving(In states where reckless driving was defined as a specific speed and not “miles per hour over the limit,” scoring is based on the difference between the designated speed and the maximum posted speed limit in the state.)
   • 15 -19 mph over speed limit (3 points)
   • 20 - 24 mph over speed limit (2.5 points)
   • 25 -29 mph over speed limit (2 points)
   • 30 -34 mph over speed limit (1.5 points)
   • 35+ mph over speed limit (1 point)
   • Not set (0 points)

    

2. Type of Speed Limit
   • Absolute (2 points)
   • Mixed (a combination between prima facie and absolute) (1 points)
   • Prima Facie (meaning a driver caught speeding can argue in court that the speed was in fact reasonable and prudent and thus not be fined) (0 points)

    

3. Average Increase in Cost of Insurance After One Speeding Ticket (20 mph over the speed limit)
   • 40% or more (2 points)
   • 30%-39.99% (1.5 points)
   • 20%-29.99% (1 point)
   • 10%-19.99% (0.5 points)
   • 0%-9.99% (0 points)

    

4. Laws in Place Prohibiting Racing on Highway
   • Yes (1 point)
   • No (0 points)

    

5. Does the State Use Automatic Speed Cameras
   • Yes (3 points)
   • No (0 points)

    

6. Additional Penalties for Aggressive Driving(For example, tailgating, racing, etc.)
   • Yes (1 point)
   • No (0 points)

    

7. How Much Do Speeding Tickets Count Toward a Suspension (for speeding 70 mph in a 55 mph zone)(Multiple speeding tickets can result in a suspended license, either through a point system or simply due to the number of violations. This metric illustrates how much one speeding ticket will count toward an eventual suspension.)
   • 45% or more (2 points)
   • 35% - 44.99% (1.5 points)
   • 25% - 34.99% (1 point)
   • 15% - 24.99% (0.5 points)
   • 0% - 14.99% (0 points)

Total points 14

Reckless Driving

1. Mandatory License Suspension (for first conviction)
   • 3 months or more (3 points)
   • 2 - 2.9 months (2 points)
   • 1 - 1.9 months (1 point)
   • Under 1 month (0 points)

    

2. Minimum Jail Time (for first conviction)
   • 10 days or more (6 points)
   • 5 - 9 days (4 points)
   • 1 - 4 days (1 point)
   • Under 1 day (0 points)

    

3. Maximum Fine (for first conviction)
   • $900 or more (2 points)
   • $600 - $899 (1.5 points)
   • $300 - $599 (1 point)
   • $0 - $299 (0 points)

    

4. Minimum Jail Time (for second conviction)
   • 20 days or more (3 points)
   • 10 - 19 days (1.5 point)
   • 1 - 9 days (1 point)
   • Under 1 day (0 points)

    

5. Maximum Fine (for second conviction)
   • $1,800 or more (2 points)
   • $1,200 - $1,799 (1.5 points)
   • $600 - $1,199 (1 point)
   • $0 - $599 (0 points)

Total points 16

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