Question:
Answer:
The sinfulness of exceeding the speed limit depends upon circumstances. It is not a law which is inherently good or bad. Driving 56 mph in a 55 mph zone is not intrinsically wrong nor does it really bring any danger to anyone. Keeping up with traffic is another situation where the breaking of the limit is sometimes actually safer than following the limit.
Being reckless and disregarding the safety of yourself and others is sinful, as you recognize.
However, even when not unsafely exceeding the speed limit, we can possess attitudes that are sinful. Contempt for the law and rightful authority is sinful. The attitude that certain rules “do not apply to me” is also dangerous. It is unlikely that such attitudes are solely limited to the issue of speed limits but rather this is just one area where these underlying attitudes bubble to the surface. If we don’t keep these attitudes in check when they occasionally surface then they’ll make their way to the surface in more and more areas of our lives.
I can’t say that every mile someone drives over the speed limit is a barometer of their pride, contempt, etc. We try to drive safely and sometimes exceed the limit by a bit and that’s not necessarily sinful, but we should always have a healthy respect for the law and those who enforce it.