As many of know, cars are getting faster and more powerful all the time. Advances in technology allow automobiles not only to start and stop faster then ever before, they also handle better at higher speeds. Modern cars rarely overheat or are damaged by high speeds.

The only missing link is the human factor. Technology is better, but humans can’t react faster, swerve faster, apply their brakes faster when a danger is in front of them. It might feel like its safe to drive faster, but the evidence is against them – at least out on the open road.

Limited-access turnpikes are different to a degree. They pose fewer hazards that require the individual driver to react, particularly on desolate highways. Yet, there still is a reason not to speed. The faster a car is driven over a certain speed, the more fuel the car will consume. In an era of global warming and higher fuel prices, the choice to drive excessively fast is a risk people should not be taking.

Yet, speeding is a socially acceptable behavior, even if it’s illegal. Speeding tickets, while potentially quite expensive, carry very little social taboo. Speeding is considered an acceptable social flaw, something that everybody does but few of us get regularly caught. It should not be that way. Speeding kills, much like drunk driving kills.

Speeding should be considered a serious violation with serious consequences—it's far more then just a number on the speedometer.