National Speed Limit – No

From 3arf

The National Speed Limit should not be set at 55 MPH. There are no sound studies showing that a speed limit is safer or more fuel efficient. While revenues may increase due to fines, this should not be a goal of any law.

A study conducted for the Federal Highway Administration showed that driver behavior did not change based on posted speed limits. If the speed limit was lowered, drivers did not slow down, nor did they speed up when limits were raised. The best compliance comes when limits are set at the 85th percentile of driver behavior. Since the repeal of the National Maximum Speed Limit in 1995, 32 states have raised limits to speeds of up to 75 MPH.

Statistics do not support the claim that safety is a prime reason to reduce fatalities. According to the NHTSA 2004 Traffic Safety Data report, "In 2004, 86 percent of speeding-related fatalities occurred on roads that were not Interstate highways." So while insurance companies and municipalities looking to raise revenues through increased premiums or fines may throw statistics around to scare people into thinking a national speed limit on interstates will save more lives, their numbers do not support their claim, since most speed related incidents occur elsewhere. If safety was truly the goal, the focus would be on reducing non-interstate highway fatalities.

There many other factors are in play when talking about speed statistics. The same report breaks down the incidence of speed-related fatalities and crashes by age, alcohol use, time of day, and use of restraints. Perhaps we should make it illegal for those under 21 to drive on interstate highways, as they are the most likely to be speeding and causing crashes. Additionally, even if speed is reported as being a factor, it may not be the primary reason for the crash.

Crash statistics in the years from 1994-2004 show a relatively flat number of fatal crashes, yet the number of miles driven has increased. This would show a drop in percentage of fatal crashes. In fact, highway deaths in 1975 were 44,525, yet miles driven were much lower. 1980 showed the highest number of fatalities at 51,091, yet the 55 MPH speed limit was in effect that year. Maybe increased safety standards for vehicles and better education for consumers should be given credit for the decrease in fatal accidents.

Fuel efficiency is not a solid reason, either, as other strategies are available and more effective. While it is true that cars are more efficient at certain speeds, our highway mileage is more efficient than our in-town mileage. Rush hour traffic causes dramatic decreases in fuel mileage. If the goal is to increase our fuel efficiency as a nation, a better focus would be to encourage alternate work schedules to reduce highway loads a peak times, improve use of public transportation, and give incentives to companies that allow telecommuting. Educating drivers in proper vehicle and tire maintenance also would have a higher impact on fuel efficiency.

Many reports and highly reported statistics are promoted by insurance company agencies and websites. By nature, these statistics are quoted out of context of the studies to skew their case. Insurance companies benefit when speed limits are arbitrarily set to increase fines collected by governments. Since crashes are not increasing in proportion to the number of miles driven, insurance companies need to maintain their revenue streams. By changing laws to increase the number of traffic fines, they are ensuring justification for raising premiums.

Reinstating the National Speed Limit just doesn't make sense. Studies show there is little impact ofposted speed limits on driver behavior. There are no solid statistics to show that it will impact safety or fuel efficiency and revenue should not be the goal of a law sold to the public under these presumptions.


Sources:

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809915.PDFhtml

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/2002/html/table_02_01.html

http://www.motorists.org/speedlimits/


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