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From: jlg@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: NOT about Libertarianism.
Message-ID: <21315@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 00:48:56 EST
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Posted: Sat Feb  9 00:48:56 1985
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> The 55 m.p.h. limit was never rescinded because the number of traffic fatalities
> went WAY down when the speed limit was lowered.  I don't know the exact
> numbers but I believe it involved many thousands fewer deaths per year.

Quite true.  The leading cause of traffic fatalities is (and always was)
DWI.  But, in most situations, a contributory factor is excessive speed.
However, what the National Traffic Safety Bureau statistics don't show
is a breakdown of the fatality statistics by the accident location and
cause (except in very general terms).  A friend of mine did a breakdown
of this kind for traffic accidents in texas and found some anomalies.

For all non-highway travel the fatality rate went down with the intorduction
of the 55 mile speed limit.  This includes frontage roads, freeways, access
roads, etc..  For highway driving though, the fatalities went up slightly.
Not real suprising - a major cause of highway accidents in the west is
driver fatigue.  The 55 mile speed limit makes driving times 20% longer,
and with the large intercity distances in the west this extra time takes
it's toll in lives.

Blanket regulations like the 55 mile speed limit should always be expected
to have SOME deleterious effects vs. the original case by case determination
of speed limit based on road condition, traffic loads, etc..

J. Giles