According to common road safety statistics, speeding is a contributing factor in approximately what percentage of all fatal road accidents?

Introduction / Context:
This question is taken from traffic safety and general awareness. It asks you to recall an approximate statistic about how often speeding is involved in fatal road accidents. While exact figures may vary slightly between countries and years, safety campaigns and exam materials often cite a typical range to emphasise the seriousness of speeding as a risk factor. Understanding that speeding is linked to a significant portion of fatal crashes helps reinforce safe driving behaviour.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks for an approximate percentage, not an exact fixed value.
• Options include 10, 22, 30, and 55 percent.
• We assume a commonly cited statistic that about one third of fatal accidents involve speeding as a contributing factor.

Concept / Approach:
Road safety agencies around the world repeatedly highlight speeding as one of the major causes of serious and fatal crashes, alongside driving under the influence, distracted driving, and not wearing seatbelts or helmets. Educational materials often state that speeding is involved in roughly one quarter to one third of traffic fatalities. For exam purposes, this is often rounded to about 30 percent, corresponding to roughly one in three fatal crashes. This makes 30 percent the best choice among the options presented. Lower numbers like 10 or 22 percent underestimate the well documented impact of speeding, while 55 percent would suggest that more than half of all fatal accidents involve speeding alone, which is higher than the typical figures used in general awareness materials.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Many road safety brochures and official statistics from different countries indicate that speeding is involved in roughly one quarter to one third of traffic deaths. For example, they may say that speeding contributes to “about 30 percent” of fatal crashes. While the exact percentages may vary year by year and from one country to another, exam style questions generally use this rounded figure to convey the message that speeding is a major, but not the sole, cause of fatal accidents. Thus, among the options provided, about 30 percent is most consistent with typical educational material.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

About 10 percent of all fatal accidents is wrong because it understates the role of speeding; the real commonly cited figure is much higher than one in ten.

About 22 percent of all fatal accidents is also too low compared with the usual approximate range of around one third.

About 55 percent of all fatal accidents is incorrect because it suggests that speeding is involved in more than half of fatal crashes, which is generally above the common estimates used in public safety statistics.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may focus on memorising a precise number from one source and be confused when an exam uses an approximate rounded value. Another pitfall is to underestimate or overestimate the problem by choosing the smallest or largest number without recalling typical road safety messages. To avoid these mistakes, remember that speeding is commonly reported as a factor in about one third, or roughly 30 percent, of all fatal accidents, which matches option C in this question.