Need for speed? Driving above the speed limit costs you - and doesn't actually save much time

Key Points:

• A University of Minnesota study found that driving at posted speed limits instead of speeding could save U.S. drivers about $22 million daily in fuel costs, reduce fuel consumption by 6.7 million gallons, and cut 57,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions each day.
• Speeding was prevalent in over 43% of trips analyzed, with drivers spending nearly 12% of their time exceeding speed limits, but driving slower would add only about 54 seconds to an average daily commute of 28.6 miles.
• The research also indicated that driving slower benefits electric vehicles, based on California data, and highlighted state differences in speeding behavior, with Nevada showing high speed excess and prevalence.
• Despite vehicle efficiency improvements, higher speed limits since the 1970s have increased fuel consumption, and slower driving could help mitigate high gas prices and reduce emissions amid ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting fuel costs.
• Experts note that while fuel savings from slower driving are significant, they represent a small fraction of total U.S. gasoline consumption, but adopting such habits is a cost-free way to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.