the simpler explanation is that speeding just isn’t as dangerous to pedestrians as distracted driving and sketchy intersections are, which certainly tracks with my experience as a pedestrian.

cars traveling in a straight line at any speed are pretty safe as long as they stop when they are supposed to.

edit: my second paragraph above is sort of stupid and makes the wrong point. my point, which i think is in line with this paper, is that it’s important to differentiate between “speeding” and “speed”. drivers are responsible for the former, DOTs are responsible for the latter, and the latter has more of an impact on pedestrian safety.