By Pendergast Law on August 13, 2014
Speeding motorists and rollover accidents kept King County troopers busy the weekend of Aug. 2. According to KOMO News, there were five rollover accidents in King County and 42 speeding tickets issued that weekend. Officials say one 18-year-old driver was arrested for vehicular assault after rolling his SUV on Northbound I-5 with five young men inside. In another accident, six people were injured when a vehicle traveling at speeds up to 90 mph crashed into the guardrail. Local law enforcement aided victims of three other rollovers and caught 42 drivers within three hours who were speeding along I-90.
One trooper spoke of how it is not “normal” to issue so many speeding tickets and to see such a high number of vehicle rollovers. Whether or not these accidents and incidents are anomalies, King County clearly has a speeding problem. In Washington, you can receive a speeding ticket if you are exceeding the speed limit or if you are traveling at an unsafe speed for the conditions of the roadway. According to Washington Statute 46.61.400: “No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding is one of the most common contributing factors of traffic crashes. In 2007, about 31 percent of all fatal traffic accidents were speed-related. In fact, 13,040 people were killed nationwide in speed-related fatalities that year.
Speeding motorists can be held accountable for the damages they cause. Many drivers who cause accidents while speeding are cited or charged for their negligence by the authorities. In addition, negligent motorists could also be held civilly liable by the victim through a personal injury lawsuit. An experienced Seattle car accident attorney will be able to guide victims through what can be a complex legal process and help them obtain fair compensation for their losses.