Welcome to report 7- SPEEDING

NAVIGATION CONTROL

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Dr. James Page

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Speeding is one of drivings biggest problems. Millions of deaths every year have speed as a contributing factor. For this reason, recent speed limit changes in the United States and Canada have been the topic of an excessively large amount of debat e. This is reflected in the well developed arguments that each side presents. The breakdown of who is for higher speed limits and who is against is also a sordid affair. The recent repeal of the federal speed limits has left many differing opinions and varying rationals.

• The AAA of Michigan came out on the side of continual maximum speed limits at 65 miles per hour. They also mention that eight states are raising speed limits to as high as 75 miles per hour, while Montana is favoring no speed limits at all.
  

• The Washington State government has a proposed increase to the maximum speed limit that would make it 70 miles per hour in many places.
  

• The Reasonable Drivers Unanimous Site contains all the current facts and status of speed limits for each State. Their FAQ version of this page and its postings is a very helpful, all encompassing si te that even has links to almost every Department of Transportation in the United States.
  

• There are also many sites that deal with public opinion. The Internet Herald posts letters to the editors on several speeding topics and present many differing opinions.

  

  The Insurance Corner provided by Western Insurance Information Services is a page that discusses the insurance companies perspective. They state that higher speed limits don't have to mean increa sed insurance premiums for many reasons. They cite insurance companies adjustment of premiums based on claims experience as one of many reasons.

  

  It seems that everybody has their own opinion and facts to back them up. Personally, I think that the topic needs more scrutinizing and scientific study by professionals. I also believe that because certain states have successfully adopted speed limits in the 70-75 mile per hour range and places like Europe have places where there are no speed limits, that there is a good case to be made for the repeal of maximum speed limits. The fact that speed limits were first imposed to conserve gas in the seven ties also helps make a good case for speed limit reform.

  

  I think that traffic psychology could play a very critical role in the speed limit debate, by facilitating productive discussions and validating studies' methodologies and statistical significance. With all the varying reports, studies and surveys b eing conducted, the public must know the true significance of each one as opposed to the significance of the most publicized one.

  Traffic psychology could also lend the methodological study of A-C-S ramification which could be applied to almost every aspect of the speeding debate, ranging from the causes of speeding to legislating State limits. This would help clear up the dis cussion on many topics and help keep people educated about the finer aspects of the fundamental sources of the problems.