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Study Finds Obeying Speed Limits Adds 54 Seconds to Average Daily U.S. Commute
University of Minnesota researchers examined 120 million car trips from 2021 and determined that driving at or below posted limits added roughly 54 seconds per day. The analysis also quantified higher fuel use and emissions from speeding.
Jul 18, 9:32 AM·1m read1 source
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A study published in the Nature journal Communications Sustainability found that drivers who exceed speed limits save an average of 54 seconds per day on typical commutes. com reported the findings from University of Minnesota researchers who analyzed 120 million car trips across the United States in 2021.
Geological Survey. They limited the sample to roads with speed limits of 45 mph or higher and an average daily distance of 28.6 miles. Driving at or below the limit added about 54 seconds daily, or just over six minutes per week.
Forty-three percent of the trips included at least one speeding incident, and drivers spent 12 percent of their time exceeding the limit. Speeders burned 2.3 to 3 percent more gasoline on average. Full compliance with speed limits could save an average of $22 million and 6.7 million gallons of fuel nationwide, the study estimated.
Ignoring limits wastes an estimated 7,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide daily from light-duty vehicles. Professor William Northrop, a co-author, stated that vehicles have grown more powerful even as engines have become more efficient. “Driving fast is easier than ever,” he said.
