paraphrase: since 1995, when the fed gov't allowed states to set their own speed limits, highway-related deaths have DECREASED. food for thought.


http://www.opinionjournal.com/editor...l?id=110008621

 

there's so much more that goes into that kind of calculation that its impossible to draw that sort of conclusion

 

I must be a safe driver then

 

food for thought??
higher speed limits less people will go over the speed limit???
maybe but then some will even push that limit.
when your driving that much faster you will be paying more attention because things happen much faster.
the problem in california is that a majority of the cars on the road are in such poor condition as far as suspension, brakes and tires that they can't handle a speed of 75mph safely.
so then a annual road worthyness test would need to be initiated by the state to keep the roads safe. cars that fail to pass the test are not to be operated on the roads anylonger.
im all for that, for one because i beleive that most accidents happen due to poor vehicle maintenance and driver error, talking on cell phones putting on makeup whatever else people do while attempting to drive. i see people reading books while driving this should be a felony. cell phones too so many people get on the phone soon as they are in the car and don't pay attention to whats going on around them.
I was almost rearended 6 times by some chick on her cell phone cus she wasn't paying attention so i moved to next lane and when she came up next to me i moved in to her lane and she didn't even notice, my mirror was 2 inches from hers she had no clue i was even there.

 

actually, i think the best way to reduce car-related tests is to simply make the driving exam an actual exam. sheesh...that thing is a joke.

 

this has always made sense to me

 

Haha seriously. The driving test is not a test at all. I think they should charge like 1000 and have it be very hard to get a license so it weeds out all the fobs and those ****ty *** drivers. Driving is a priviledge, not a right.

There's signs in San Leandro that say..."Keep kids alive, drive 25."

 

Most people can barely react to things that happen at normal speed. You think they could do so at faster speed? I know some can, but not everyone.

 

it's kind of like how in the UK after installing those speed cameras all over the place, traffic incidents have gone up even more

 

Take a page out of Germany's playbook.

Require some serious classes and training, minimum hours logged in every weather condition, first aid courses, and a stringent testing procedure before anyone gets a license. Obtaining a license in Germany is like obtaining a pilots' license here.

Also, with drivers under the age of 18, make their parents CRIMINALLY liable as well for their son/daughter, and watch the number of teenage driving accidents go down. Parents would probably be more careful if they knew that if their child does something wrong, speeding, etc., that they will be going to jail, as well as their child.

 

the initial premise is a classic case of "post hoc, ergo prompter hoc". Just because fatilities decreased after states were allowed to set thier own speed limits, there is absolutley no necessary correlation between the two phenomenon.

I would speculate that a more in-depth study would show that things like airbags, crumple zones and ABS have much more to do with any decrease in fatilities. I'd also bet that while fatalities may have decreased, the per-capita number of accidents has probably increased - although I have no data to back up that assertion.

 

That data showed that there has also been a 33% decrease in the number of auto accidents as well.

 

there is research to suggest that the percentage of cars speeding does go down when the speed limit is increased, so I dunno . . .

 

word, the driving test here is a joke. It is also that german drivers focus on only driving when theyre in their cars, not like americans who are constantly talking on their cell phones or eating while driving becomes a 2nd priority.

 

correlation does not imply causation

the first lesson in statistics