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Increased Speed Limits Are a Significant Factor in Car Accidents

Some Facts About High Speed Limits and Car Accidents

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that a total of 32,675 people died in motor vehicle accidents or soon thereafter as a result of injuries suffered from those accidents. This recent estimate of deaths was tied to over $242 billion dollars of taxpayer expense for annual economic ramifications of these deadly accidents. The high death toll of accidents is attributed to impaired driving, speeding, non-use of seat belts, distracted driving and other bad driving behaviors. Sadly, bad behaviors are the common denominator in these deaths, regardless of precise actions.

About 28 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2014 were proven to be caused by speeding. Speeding has been the attributed factor for 30 percent of crash deaths since 2005. The definition of speeding when it comes to auto accidents includes crashes wherein the driver was ticketed for excess of speed or due to behaviors such as driving too fast for road or weather conditions, racing or blatantly exceeding posted speed limits.

Surprisingly, interstates and freeways where speed limits are higher are not necessarily where the danger lies, or where most accidents from this cause occur. In 2014, speed related auto accident deaths happened more frequently on minor roadways. 35 percent of these deadly high-speed car accidents happened on roads that were not highways. Interstates and freeways were the scene of only about 29 percent of deadly accidents blamed for speeds and other major roads with high posted limits were the site of only 25 percent of car accident deaths.

About half of the speed related fatalities of 2014 occurred on roads with legal limits of less than 55 miles per hour. These slower paced streets resulted in 9,262 related deaths.

But the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) blames more deadly crashes on increased limits. Researchers attributed 1,900 deaths in 2013 on roads with higher speed limits. They claim these fatal accidents counterbalance lives saved by airbags during the same year.

Car Accidents due to High Speed Limits are Common

According to studies, speeding is a factor in about one-third of all car crashes. It is a common occurrence as a car accident lawyer to see these types of related crashes. Unfortunately, people read crash reports and watch on the news the amount of accidents on a regular basis and never get used to the number of people injured due to the negligence of a speeding driver.

Despite the abundance of evidence regarding high-speed limit related car crashes, states and many cities continue to increase roadway speed limits, thinking auto safety innovations mean that drivers can drive at higher speeds without greater risk.

Some states feature speed limits as high as 80 miles per hour, while others enforce slow limits of as low as five miles per hour. These limits are constantly being challenged by the public and changing to meet a seeming desire for speed.

Since 2005, over one dozen U.S. states have increased their statewide speed limits. While it was only a few decades ago that “Drive 55” was a national highway travel safety marketing slogan, most highways today could use a slogan of “Drive 75,” with others able to claim “Drive 85” as a way to remind drivers of regional speed limits. This is a major change in a very short period of time.

Such changes are often due to nothing more than old-fashioned peer pressure, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. When one state increases its speed and citizens applaud the change, neighboring states follow suit. Sadly, this occurs regardless to consequences of speed-related accidents. Our advice, be mindful of your speed limit and remember to be alert of others around you.

Aaron Crane, a trained car accident lawyer from Cantor Crane, is familiar with car crashes due to high rate of speeds. Auto accidents caused by speeding can have catastrophic affects. Contact an attorney today for a free consultation if you have been injured in an accident that was caused by the negligence of someone speeding.

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Diesel Injectors – How They Work?

Diesel Injectors are used for filling diesel fuel into a diesel engine or compression ignition engine. This fuel is directly injected into the engine with the help of Injectors attached to the cylinders of a diesel machine.

This fuel injecting system basically consists of the following parts – Fuel injection apparatus (nozzle and nozzle holder), fuel supply line, Air-intake valve, and diesel engine exhaust valve.

The function of the parts of diesel injectors is as follows:

An apparatus for fuel injection: Each cylinder of a compression ignition engine is connected to a fuel injector and therefore each cylinder has its own diesel supply line which carries the diesel from the diesel tank to the diesel engine. The fuel injector consists of a nozzle and a nozzle holder.

1. Diesel supply line: Each cylinder of a diesel engine has its own diesel supply line which carries the diesel from the diesel tank to the CI engine.

2. An intake valve: The role of an intake valve is to suck air into the combustion chamber. The air blends with the condensed diesel thus strengthening the combustion.

3. Diesel engine exhaust valve: It plays the important role of eliminating the emissions produced by the diesel combustion chamber.

Once the fuel comes in contact with the injectors, it becomes extremely pressurized. This pressure is created by a little pump that the injector is connected to. This little pump enables air to pass through the injector, consequently pressurizing the fuel. The highly pressurized fuel enters and flows down to the body of the nozzle holder and finally into the nozzle passage. A diesel injector has a needle valve that is closely connected to the spring located in the body of the injector. The compression nut stresses the spring to produce spring pressure and injector opening pressure simultaneously.

Once the needle valve opens, the fuel is sprayed by the diesel injector through the tiny nozzle situated in the combustion chamber of an engine cylinder. The cluster of little holes in the nozzle ensures its equal distribution into the combustion chamber of the cylinder. The tiny holes are specially designed and arranged to break the fuel into tiny drops so that they can burn readily.

Next, the air intake valves carry air into the combustion chamber and gets combined with condensed diesel thus intensifying the combustion. Now the fuel engine exhaust valve gets rid of the emissions generated by the fuel combustion chamber. The return diesel line gets rid of the surplus diesel fuel by bringing it back to the fuel tank from the fuel combustion chamber.

This is how a complex diesel injector functions. Diesel injectors are known as the most intricate elements of a diesel engine. It has the ability to endure high pressure and temperature produced inside the cylinder and circulates equal quantity of fuel to the cylinder thereby ensuring smooth functioning of a powerful diesel engine.