Lazarus Austin is a junior majoring in history. He can be contacted at [email protected].As college students, many of us frequently travel home on the weekends. If not, many of us still travel around campus for whatever reason.
We are also well-known for being rebellious and having a lead foot.
When we are driving, there is always one source of constant frustration: the speed limit sign.
In my case, every time I see that darn electronic sign that shows your speed on campus, I just want to shoot it with my BB gun.
Growing up, we were always told that “speed kills” and “slow down” because we might “get a ticket.”
Here’s the clincher: higher speed limits actually decrease fatality rates. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, speed does not kill. All the slogans are one big lie.
Not only do higher speed limits save lives, but also they are more convenient, fair, economic and safe.
In 1973, after the energy crisis, the government enacted a national maximum speed limit of 55 mph.
Imagine driving all the way to Jackson on Highway 25 going 55 miles per hour.
What happened after this legislation? Fatality rates increased everywhere.
Furthermore, after the national maximum speed limit was raised to 65 mph in 1987, fatality rates decreased.
When the speed limit was raised, many people screamed bloody murder, claiming thousands more would die and that we would consume all the oil.
The same thing happened in 1995. The federal government was trying to revoke the national maximum speed limit altogether. People complained yet again, but the government did it anyway.
What were the results? Many states raised their speed limits to 70 and 75 mph, while some got rid of them altogether. In 1997, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was a record low of highway fatalities. Our highways have been safer ever since.
In addition, according to the Cato Institute, Americans saved some 200 million man-hours that would have been spent on the road, and the net economic benefit of raising the speed limit was between $2 and $3 billion.
Many people have also complained that raising the speed limit will henceforth increase fuel consumption. However, when the speed limit was reduced to 55 mph, net oil consumption was only reduced by 1 percent.
Despite the progress, many states and local governments are still stuck in the past. Unreasonable speed limits continue to be imposed and enforced.
In Mississippi, for example, there is a maximum speed limit of 65 mph on state highways. Currently, the highest speed limit in the United States is 80 mph, in western Texas.
On the famous Autobahn in Germany, most stretches do not even have a speed limit, yet the autobahn has a lower death rate than our interstates.
The astounding thing is that by their actions, most Americans agree with me. Depending on the road, most Americans drive an average of six to 10 mph over the speed limit.
Ironically, the general rule most government agencies use to set speed limits is called the 85th Percentile rule, which basically sets the speed limit at the speed that 85 percent of people drive.
The problem is, in most cases, this rule is not being applied. For a close-to-home example, when most of you travel home on Highway 25, do 85 percent of you drive at 65 mph or below? Probably not. The simple fact of the matter is that most speed limits are not reasonable. Most people do not follow them for that reason.
A common argument is that people will always drive five to 10 mph over the speed limit. That’s just ridiculous. If the speed limit on University Drive were 100 mph, would most people drive 105?
When people drive, they instinctively drive at what they feel is a safe, reasonable speed whether it is above or below the speed limit.
Why are authorities so reluctant to raise speed limits? Three words: money, money and money. Speeding fines provide the courts with much of their revenue.
Higher speed limits would reduce the pressure on police departments around the country to enforce stupid laws and allow them to reallocate their resources to more high-priority crimes, such as rape, murder and theft. Higher speed limits are more convenient and economically beneficial. But most importantly, they save lives.
Insurance companies also lobby like crazy to keep them because lower speed limits give them more profit.
One of the most common arguments is that speed causes accidents. That is not true. There is one root cause that can be attributed to most accidents: carelessness.
In compensation for raising speed limits, it would not be a bad idea to consider banning the use of cell phones while driving (many states are already doing this for teenagers), limiting older drivers and more strictly enforcing laws concerning blinkers, tailgating and other forms of careless, lazy driving.
I challenge Mississippi State, the town of Starkville and the state of Mississippi to take action and do what is right for drivers around the state. Raise the speed limits where it is necessary, particularly on Highways 12 and 25. I also call on police officers around the state to stop enforcing a corrupt law and allow people to drive safely. It could save many lives and make people’s lives much easier.