According to Florida Statute 316.183, drivers are prohibited from traveling on highways at faster speeds than would be reasonably prudent under current road conditions. Speed must be controlled as necessary to avoid collisions and to comply with the obligation of every motorist to exercise reasonable care. The same statute establishes maximum speed limits for different types of roads, such as 30 miles per hour on roads in businesses and residential districts; 55 miles per hour in other locations; and 70 miles per hour on certain highways.
When a driver exceeds posted speed limits or drives too fast for road conditions, the driver is said to be speeding. Speeding is the second leading contributing factor to truck accidents, according to the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, following only brake problems. The Large Truck Crash Causation Study indicated speeding was a factor in 32,000 out of 141,000 fatal or injury-causing truck accidents during the study period.
Speeding, for purposes of the study, was defined as traveling not just above posted limits but as traveling too fast to be safe for the conditions on the road. In total, 23 percent of the truck crashes included in the study involved excessive speed as a contributing factor.
If a truck driver is exceeding the posted speed limit or is driving too fast based on current conditions on the road, the excessive speed creates a presumption of negligence. Proving negligence is part of proving a truck driver and his employer should be held legally liable for a collision and made to compensate crash victims. The presumption of negligence in truck accident cases caused by speeding can make it easier for collision victims to pursue a claim for monetary damages.