[HotRodSaint]

Higher Speed Limit Causes Death Risk To Women, Elderly

POSTED: 10:51 a.m. EDT June 5, 2003

PHILADELPHIA -- A new study says raising the speed limit to 70 mph or more increases the risk of death for women and the elderly.

But the study says higher speed limits don't increase the risk of death for young men.

Congress abolished the national speed limit of 55 mph in 1995. Since then, 29 states have raised their speed limits to at least 70 mph.


Researchers say that those states didn't experience an increase in the overall number of traffic fatalities. But they say that fatalities per 100,000 people rose 10 percent for women and 13 percent for the elderly.

The study also says there was no increase for men under the age of 65.

Thomas Dee, an assistant economics professor at Swarthmore College who is the study's coauthor, says that a higher speed limit increases the variance of driving speeds and thus the risk of accidents.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/automotive/2250896/detail.html

 

[HotRodSaint]

...raising the speed limit to 70 mph or more increases the risk of death for women and the elderly.

...higher speed limits don't increase the risk of death for young men.

...states didn't experience an increase in the overall number of traffic fatalities.

...fatalities...rose 10 percent for women and 13 percent for the elderly.

...no increase for men under the age of 65.

...higher speed limit increases the variance of driving speeds and thus the risk of accidents.

In other words, women and old people drive too slow on the freeway and they make sudden lane changes without looking in their review mirror or using the turn signals.

Why don't they just say what all of us already know instead of trying to spin it into another fake 'speed kills' study?

 

[HotRodSaint]

Today this 100 year old lady (ok, she was probably only 80) makes a left turn doing 5 miles an hour right in front of us. I look at her in amazement and raise my hands like, what the heck lady? She looks at me kinda confused and keeps driving out into the traffic at 5mph. I hope she doesn't cause a 'speeder' to hit her. She really looked like a sweet old lady. :halo:

Oh, and her's the kicker. She was driving a CADILLAC!! :crying:

 

[HotRodSaint]

I agree they have a lot of good experience, and they are more cautious and go slower, but my point is that means NOTHING if they cannot physically shoulder check or have foggy vision due to cataracts.

Braking (or stopping) to make a lane change, is beyond cautious. But we are picking way too much on the elderly. There's plenty of stupid drivers that aren't old or vision impaired.

If the US (and Canada?) had higher requirements to obtain and keep a drivers license, then road safety would increase. The left lane is for passing, period. But how many people view it as their 'right' to travel in that lane at 55mph even though it impedes the flow of traffic?

Also the way in which law enforcement enforces the laws needs to be readjusted. Impeding the flow of traffic is against the law. It is a factor in highway safety as it causes people to wrongly pass on the right. Yet has anyone ever seen someone get pulled over for impeding the flow of traffic? To the contrary, I've seen CHP car's pass slower traffic on the right too.

It's just easier and politically correct to target speeders. We have been indoctrinated since the '70's that speed alone is responsible for death and mayhem on the highways.

Until science is free of politics and the facts are allowed to be heard despite the special interest groups best efforts then we will continue to have flawed science and flawed public policy. This article is just another PC spin on what could be a starting point for better public policy for highway safety.