DALLAS – AAA Texas is warning motorists that driving above the posted limit has become normalized, even as speed remains a major factor in fatal and serious crashes across the state.
New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that three in 10 drivers agreed with the statement that no one actually drives the speed limit. Nearly half said keeping up with surrounding traffic felt safer than obeying the posted limit, a belief safety officials say can push an entire traffic stream to dangerous speeds.
Many drivers considered traveling 10 mph over the limit acceptable. Asked why they speed, 31% said they wanted to get around slower vehicles, 25% wanted to reach their destination faster and 21% wanted to avoid holding up traffic. The findings show how social pressure and convenience can outweigh drivers’ stated concerns about safety.
Speed affected more than 24,000 Texas crashes in 2024, including 490 fatal crashes and 1,459 crashes that caused serious injuries, according to figures cited by AAA Texas. Nationally, speeding was involved in nearly 30% of traffic deaths that year.
The danger rises faster than the speedometer suggests. Higher speed reduces the time available to recognize a hazard and increases the distance a vehicle travels before a driver can react. It also lengthens braking distance and adds energy to a collision, making injury or death more likely for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Drivers reported that they were most likely to slow down to avoid a ticket, prevent a crash or respond to bad weather. Seventy-nine percent cited avoiding a citation, 72% cited avoiding a collision and 60% cited poor weather. AAA said motorists should make the safe choice before enforcement or a near miss forces it.
The survey found support for stronger countermeasures. Drivers favored more police presence in places with a history or high risk of speed-related crashes, and roughly seven in 10 supported automated speed cameras in those locations. Camera programs remain subject to state and local law and often generate debate over privacy, fairness and how revenue is used.
AAA advises drivers to base speed on the posted limit, visibility, road and weather conditions and the space available around the vehicle. Someone traveling at the legal limit while other traffic moves faster should stay in the right lane when appropriate, hold a steady speed, leave extra following distance and allow faster vehicles to pass rather than joining the faster flow.
The message is especially relevant on Rio Grande Valley highways where long distances, heavy trucks, construction zones and sudden congestion can reduce reaction time. Matching the fastest vehicle nearby may feel normal, but it does not change the physical consequences of speed.
Source: CBS News Texas, published Aug. 18, 2026. Additional verification: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data.
