Cars have gotten steadily more crash worthy. Highways have been better and better designed, including redesign of highway barriers. As a result, the crashes per 100,000 miles have gone down. Still....
The higher the speed that an accident occurs, the higher the death and injury per accident. This is a matter of physics. The energy expended as the cars crunch to a stop, is a product of the weight of the cars and the square of the speed.
Having seen members of my family to their graves due to the combination of alcohol and cars, fifty-three years apart, I react strongly to statements about death rates from auto accidents that do not match the facts.
In terms of death per passenger mile, automobiles are the worst, trains are the least. For decades ago, I worked with transportation planners. Forms of transportation are partially price-elastic. They are also time-elastic.
I would vigorously resist the government TELLING anyone that they MUST use / not use a particular form of transportation. On the other hand, I do believe that scarce public dollars should be used in ways that encourage people to make their own choices in ways that benefit the public, especially in urban areas where both land and money are scarce commodities.
I remember a speech I read about, nearly half a century ago. An urban designer said of Los Angeles, “I've seen the future, and it doesn't work.” IIRC, one-third of all the land in Los Angeles was devoted to moving, storing, and feeding private automobiles. That is simply not a workable arrangement for any urban area, anywhere in the world, not just in the US.
John / Billybob
“The higher the speed that an accident occurs, the higher the death and injury per accident.”
I agree with you, physics shows the amount of damage increases as speed increases. However, I don’t think the facts have shown that there were less accidents during the 55 MPH era, than currently. One thing that hasn’t been brought up is that by driving 55 MPH, it takes longer to get places, which means longer time spent in the car. You have a greater chance of being maimed or killed when you are a car, than any other time, regardless of what speed you are driving. I think one of the reasons the accident rate would not decline under a national 55 MPH limit is there would be more cars on the road. The more time you spend on the road, the greater your chances of being in a wreck.
Scarce my ass...governments are flush with my dollars via taxes.
You're really getting into the politician mode aren't you.