Speeding
Did You Know
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in Seattle is 30 MPH on arterials, 25 MPH on residential streets, and 20 MPH in school zones.
One out of three collisions in Seattle involves speeding.
In the U.S., over 10,000 people are killed annually in speed-related crashes.
If you hit someone going just 10 miles over the speed limit, that person’s chance of surviving that crash drops from 50% to 10%.
What We’re Doing
In Seattle, we’re building our streets for safe speeds, timing traffic signals and designing roadway widths that ensure safe travel.
The Seattle Police Department is enforcing traffic safety laws and focusing on the corridors where speed is most problematic.
We’re launching a speed awareness campaign targeting younger drivers who are more likely to be involved in speed-related collisions.
What You Can Do
Think about your speed and how it effects others. Speed limits are there for your safety and everyone else’s. Just a few miles over the limit can be the difference in whether or not a person survives a crash.
Talk to your friends and family. For some reason, breaking the speed limit has become a culturally acceptable law to break, as if there are no real consequences. For the loved ones of the 10,000 people who die annually in speed-related crashes, these consequences are very real.
Plan your trip and allow enough time to get where you’re going. Speed and distracted and aggressive driving are all related to feeling rushed on the road. No matter how you travel, make sure you have the time to give your full attention to the road.