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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: re: scott preece on 55mph - (nf)
Message-ID: <2303@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Jun-83 23:00:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2303
Posted: Thu Jun 23 23:00:06 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 10:13:13 EDT
Lines: 45

#R:utcsstat:-70700:uicsl:4300034:000:1861
uicsl!preece    Jun 23 08:55:00 1983

I concede that hitting a fixed object at 55mph is as likely to
be fatal (or very nearly so) as hitting that object at 70mph.

But:

At 55mph the driver has significantly more time to react before
hitting that object.

At 55mph the driver only has to lose 20mph to get down to non-fatal
speeds, instead of having to lose 35mph.

At 55mph the car is less likely to have sufficient energy to roll.

At 55mph a mechanical failure is less likely to cause disaster.

But the most important consideration is that if people are
really constrained to 55mph the innocent driver has significantly
more time to observe and avoid accidents in progress. Defensive
driving demands that you have time to defend yourself.

To be perfectly honest, I wish the limit were 75. I live in arguably
the most boring part of the country and I frequently drive to
Chicago, which is essentially 150 flat miles without having to turn
the car. But my rational side insists that I'm safer because of the
lower limit and that I should be willing to trade a few minutes for
even a modest reduction in the risk to my family. I guess that's
the difference between self interest and enlightened self interest.
If it were put to a vote I would vote for 55mph, but there have
been many hours I wished wistfully for the days when 5 over the
limit meant 75 instead of 60.

As for statistics and speed-versus-deaths curves, I haven't seen
anything from either side that really convinced me. Recall that
average car size has been declining and economic conditions have
been changing peoples' driving habits spasmodically. So I come down
on the position that I know of nothing supporting the idea that
75mph is safer and many things (some listed above) supporting the
idea that 55mph is safer. Not a lot safer, but not a lot slower, either.
I can live with it.

scott preece
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece