Speeding led to 10 times more deaths in traffic accidents, compared with other factors, in Aomori Prefecture between 2009 and 2013, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Sunday.
Aomori Prefectural Police determined that 6.62 percent of traffic accidents involving speeding resulted in deaths, while fatal accidents represented only 0.65 percent of those that did not involve speeding, the daily said.
Of the total 27,018 traffic accidents during the five-year period, there were 244 cases that resulted in death. Most of them, or 25,885 cases, happened while vehicles involved were traveling under the speed limits and these included 169 deaths. By contrast, accidents involving vehicles running over the limits totaled 1,133, of which 75 cases resulted in fatalities.
"There may be actually more accidents that have resulted from speeding," a police official said.