Here's a cheery bit of news from the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page. Seems fears of skyrocketing death tolls due to the repeal of the national 55 mph speed limit were unfounded:
In 2005, according to new data from the National Highway Safety Administration, the rate of injuries per mile traveled was lower than at any time since the Interstate Highway System was built 50 years ago. The fatality rate was the second lowest ever, just a tick higher than in 2004.Apparently, according to the WSJ, only 5% of the population was following the national limit anyway, so maybe the deaths from higher speeds were already factored in to the statistics, or maybe cars have just gotten safer over the years. However, it seems at least possible to me that raising the limits allowed the law-abiding to catch up with the impatient, thus facilitating a more consistent flow of traffic, and reducing one potential source of accidents. Whatever the reason, fatalities have gone down instead of up since the speed limits started rising:
Of the 31 states that have raised their speed limits to more than 70 mph, 29 saw a decline in the death and injury rate and only two--the Dakotas--have seen fatalities increase.I'd be interested in knowing what's going on in the Dakotas. Maybe they repealed the DUI laws at the same time, huh?
Hat tip: Instapundit
