Speeding is a significant contributor to traffic deaths and injuries across Kansas each year, as evidenced by data and tragic incidents alike. It is also a key focus of the national Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day (PBFD) safety campaign. On October 10, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) urges everyoneto prioritize safety, whether driving, riding a motorcycle or bicycle, or walking.

In 2023 alone, 80 people lost their lives and 2,104 were injured in speed-related crashes across Kansas, according to KDOT data. Kansas Highway Patrol Technical Trooper and crash investigator Craig Presley has witnessed the devastating effects of speeding firsthand. He recalls two high-speed crashes that resulted in fatalities: one involved a young woman driving 105 mph off a highway ramp, colliding with a parked semi; another saw a young man going nearly 100 mph lose control and crash into an oncoming truck. Presley stresses that at 100 mph, a vehicle covers 146 feet per second—nearly half a football field in an instant.

Statistics show that younger drivers are most often involved in speed-related crashes. In 2023, drivers aged 15 to 19 accounted for 916 speed-related incidents, followed by 785 incidents among drivers aged 20 to 24. This pattern has been consistent from 2019 to 2022, with the highest rate of speed-related crashes occurring among the youngest drivers.