Many New York motorists are aware that over the past few years, traffic-related deaths have been on the rise. Though some claim that distractions, especially smartphone-using pedestrians, are causing it, the National Transportation Safety Board has released a study saying that the main factor is speeding. About 31 percent of traffic deaths between 2005 and 2014 were caused by speeding, roughly the same as fatalities related to driving under the influence.

Therein lies one of the issues, according to the NTSB. No national campaigns have created a cultural stigma around speeding, and there is no real awareness that speed kills. Therefore, the agency suggests that speeding penalties become more severe.

Other recommendations include the wider use of speeding cameras and other enforcement tools as well as the updating of speed limits. Many speed limits are based on the 85th-percentile rule, yet there is no strong evidence supporting the idea that 85th-percentile speeds equate those speeds with the lowest crash involvement rate.

At the same time, many cities are striving to implement measures, such as road diets, to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. While some measures have met with controversy, others have been welcomed. Boston, for example, will redesign five communities so that drivers must slow down to 20 mph or below in them. Traffic calming devices and infrastructure like crosswalks will be implemented.

When speeding drivers cause a car collision, their passengers as well as occupants of other vehicles run the risk of incurring catastrophic injuries. These victims might want to meet with an attorney to discuss how best to seek compensation for the losses that they have incurred.