Speeding in the U.S. impacts fuel consumption and emissions

A study analyzing over 120 million vehicle trips across the United States indicates that nearly half of all licensed drivers speed at least occasionally. Researchers found that adhering to posted speed limits could yield significant environmental and economic benefits.

According to the findings, complying with speed limits could save an average of 6.7 million gallons of fuel, $22 million, and 57,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide every day. These daily savings are comparable to removing approximately 5.5 million passenger vehicles from the road. The study also noted that the increase in average daily travel time for drivers would be only 54 seconds.

Beyond environmental impacts, speeding contributes to metal contamination in road dust, affecting both drivers and residents living near roadways.