Study: Higher speed limits create dangers

USA Today | 24 Nov 03 | AP

[SLB]

WASHINGTON (AP) — States that raised their speed limits to 70 mph or more saw a dramatic increase in the number of people killed in traffic accidents, according to a report released Monday by an auto safety group funded by insurers.

The study, compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and based on data collected by the Land Transport Safety Authority of New Zealand, determined 1,880 more people died between 1996 and 1999 in the 22 states with higher speed limits.

A separate review of six states by the institute found drivers traveling the fastest they have since long before Congress repealed the 55 mph national speed limit in November 1995. In Colorado, which has a speed limit of 75 mph, researchers observed one in four drivers going above 80 mph. In California, where the speed limit is 70 mph, one in five drivers was clocked at 80 mph.

The New Zealand government agency estimated the death rate for the 22 states that raised their speed limits on rural interstates in 1995 and 1996.

The 10 states that raised limits to 75 mph — all in the Midwest and West — experienced 38% more deaths per million miles driven than states with 65-mph limits, or approximately 780 more deaths.

The 12 states that raised their limits to 70 mph — including California, Florida, North Carolina and Missouri — saw a 35% increase, or 1,100 additional deaths.

Geographical differences in states may have contributed to the numbers. For example, the report said, drivers may go faster in Western states where cities are farther apart. The report didn't examine the effects of other trends, such as the increasing number of sport utility vehicles on the road then.

The Insurance Institute said there is no doubt, however, that when speed limits increase so do deaths. When the national speed limit of 55 mph was adopted 1974, fatality rates dropped, the Insurance Institute's chief scientist Allan Williams said.

The Insurance Institute's separate study of speeds in Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, Colorado and California also found that when rates are raised on rural interstates, speeding increased on urban interstates.

Average travel speeds on urban interstates in Atlanta, Boston and Washington were the same as or higher than on rural interstates near those cities, even though the speed limits on those urban interstates were 55 mph. In Atlanta, 78% of drivers on one urban interstate exceeded 70 mph, the report found.

[SLB]

What is the New Zealand government doing a speed limit study in the USA for?

[ClintonBeGone]

What is the New Zealand government doing a speed limit study in the USA for?

Ford's got a new Kangaroo coming out next year.

[dirtboy]

And why do they keep shifting back and forth between total fatalities and fatalities per million miles driven?

[agitator]

More crap gleaned from an extortionist industry that would have you paying $5000 a year for car insurance and limited to 10mph.

[billorites]

As I recall high school physics, force increases with the square of velocity.

[Puppage]

according to a report released Monday by an auto safety group funded by insurers.

Nothing like some non-biased numbers to fuel your study, hmm?

That's like getting gun stats from the Brady Center.

[nuffsenuff]

That was the first thing that popped into my head too...

I didn't really look into it but does it take into account the morons who don't go 75 and get in the way of the ones who do?

I'm willing to bet money most of these accidents are caused by someone slowing down in the left lane or moving into the left lane without looking.

[just me]

What is the New Zealand government doing a speed limit study in the USA for?

I was wondering the same thing..

[steplock]

Gee! Did someone do a reprint of the same study that came out .... what? .... 30 years ago?

And HOW MUCH did that cost us this time around?

Can you say "PLAGIARISM"??

[anobjectivist]

Energy = 1/2 mass * velocity (squared)

Force = mass * acceleration

[BenLurkin]

Total fatalities is a raw number with little independant meaning. The number of accidents per Milliion Vehicle Miles(MVM)or the number of Fatal/Injury accidents per MVM is useful for computing averages and spotting anomolous highway segments.

[ElkGroveDan]

Well then if slower is better we should lower the national speed limit to 20mph everywhere. Then we would be really, really safe.

[U S Army EOD]

They have about as many kangaroos in New Zealand as they have straight roads. Been there and drove there and didn't see any kangaroos or straight roads. So how do they know anything about driving in America.

The deaths may have a little bit to do with the fact that cars are just not as strong as they used to be and there are more on the road.

[Blue Screen of Death]

For most of human history we only moved around 3 miles per hour. It was good enough for our founding fathers, it should be good enough for us.

Let's all be really safe and demand our government reduce all speed limits to 3 miles per hour and fix cars so they can not exceed this speed limit.

Think of all the lives (especially children) that will be saved and all the traffic cops that can find something else to do (buy Krispy Kream stock) with their time.

[Question_Assumptions]

Think of how many lives we'd save if everyone drove 5 mph. Why don't we just set all the speed limits to 5 mph, then?

[spunkets]

"force increases with the square of velocity."

E = 1/2 *m*v²

F = m * a

where a = acceleration = dv/dt.

[norwaypinesavage]

Since the vast majority of fatalities occurr at night, the most important advancement in automotive safety would be the elimination of headlights.

[bert]

Because if there in notjing of real importance to add they can always beat a dead horse.

[TexasCajun]

Drive a SUV!

The life you safe may be your own!

[quark]

Total energy = 1/2 mass * velocity (squared) + mass * gravity * height

Or, as we in the fighter community say: "Altitude is energy, speed is life."