Three in 10 drivers agreed that no one follows the speed limit in a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study, while nearly half said keeping pace with traffic can feel safer than obeying the posted limit.
The findings point to broad acceptance of driving 10 mph over the limit even though most respondents said posted limits are appropriate. Speeding was a factor in nearly 30% of U.S. traffic deaths in 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Thirty-one percent of drivers said they speed to get around slower vehicles, 25% said they want to reach their destination sooner and 21% said they do not want to hold up traffic.
Avoiding a ticket was the most commonly cited reason to slow down, selected by 79% of drivers. Seventy-two percent cited avoiding a crash, and 60% said bad weather would cause them to reduce speed.
Drivers generally favored measures that encourage lower speeds while preserving individual control. Eighty-seven percent supported more police in places with a history of speed-related crashes, and 88% supported added police presence where such crashes could occur.
About seven in 10 drivers supported automated speed cameras in those locations. Respondents also viewed advisory intelligent speed assistance, which warns a driver who exceeds the limit, more favorably than systems that automatically restrict vehicle speed.
More than nine in 10 respondents said speed humps are effective, but fewer than half supported installing them in their own neighborhoods. Support for intelligent speed assistance also declined when drivers could not override the system.
AAA advised drivers to treat the posted limit as a maximum and reduce speed when visibility, weather, traction or surrounding space require it. Drivers who are moving at the limit while others speed should remain in the rightmost lane, maintain a steady pace and increase following distance, the organization said.
The foundation said the results can help policymakers and traffic safety officials identify measures that are both effective and acceptable to the public.
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