Speed Limits
There have been so many road accidents in the US caused by things like drunken driving, over speeding and texting while driving. Surprisingly, several states have increased their speed limit even after they have witnessed so many deaths caused by road accidents. IIinois is the latest state to come up with a bill that proposes an increment in the speed limit to about 70 mph on certain parts of its roads. However, this move has raised concern because those states that have raised their speed limits have experienced an increase in injuries and deaths on their roads. According to Jonathan Adkins who is the deputy executive director for the Governors Highway Safety Association, the public are more concerned about their ability to be able to move faster rather than their safety. Consequently, it has become necessary to come up with legislations that meet this demand.
Research shows that speeding is indeed a safety problem. This is evident from the statistics that show that in 2011, a death toll of 9,944 people was recorded and about one third of these deaths were caused by over speeding. The National Representative Sample having defined speeding as driving beyond the recommended speed limit noted that speeding was responsible for 20% of the crashes that caused minor or fatal injuries. Furthermore, the sample showed that speeding had also resulted to the damage of 16% of the property. Additionally, research shows that male drivers especially those below 30 are more likely to cause accidents than female drivers. For instance, it was discovered that 23% of male drivers in comparison to 14% for female drivers got involved in fatal crashes. Actually, speed variation is just as dangerous as over speeding and this is why it is important to main a constant speed such as 55 mph. During the 1970s when 55 mph was the maximum speed limit, fewer accidents and fatalities were experienced especially on the highways. Therefore, state laws should set reasonable speed limits given that an increase in speed limits poses so much danger to people’s lives.
Massachusetts is another place where concerns have risen about the issue of speed limits. Dan Wislows, a republican has brought forth a bill that aims at increasing limit. He argues that increasing the speed limit from 65mph to 70mph on the interstate highways would enable Massachusetts attain the national standards. Generally, he is of the view that 70 mph is more practical and people are likely to adhere to it.
