Why is speeding such a big deal? Texas police officers issue tickets to speeders because speeding is dangerous. To explain why, here is a quick physics lesson: The faster an object is moving, the more distance it will travel before it comes to a complete stop. For example, if you are going 40 miles per hour in a car, it will take you at least 126 feet for your vehicle to come to a complete stop after you apply the brakes. At 55 miles per hour, it takes 216 feet to stop, and at 75 miles per hour your stopping distance is approximately 371 feet. If you are cruising along at 100 miles per hour, it will take at least 623 feet to stop your vehicle. If you are going 100 miles per hour and an obstacle such as a deer appears in the road less than 623 feet away from you, you won’t be able to stop in time.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s publication "Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Speeding," speeding contributed to 31 percent of all fatal automobile accidents nationwide in 2002. That adds up to 13,713 people killed and a cost to society of $40.4 billion dollars! In Texas alone, NHTSA statistics show that 3,725 people were killed in speeding-related accidents in 2002.