"No sh** Sherlock!"

[Ripsnort]

Gee, really?

Study: Faster cars, higher speeds lead to more deaths

CNN

WASHINGTON -- More deaths are occurring on the nation's highways because car manufacturers are putting more horsepower under the hood of cars and drivers are using the muscle to go faster than ever, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

A second study, by researchers from New Zealand, also showed that faster cars and higher speeds were adding to deaths on the nation's highways.

"Whenever vehicle speeds increase, death rates also increase," said Institute chief scientist Allan Williams. "And the reverse is true. In 1974 when the national maximum speed limit lowered the limits across the country to 55 mph, fatality rates dropped significantly."

To test the speeds of drivers, the Institute studied the driving habits in six states: Colorado, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Mexico, as well as five major cities from 1996-1999.

In Colorado almost a quarter of drivers were traveling 80 mph or faster. Drivers in Atlanta posted the fastest speeds of the major cities. Despite a 55 mph limit on urban intestates, 78 percent of the drivers typically hit speeds of 70 mph and almost 20 percent are driving faster than 80, the study found.

"Drivers tend to choose speeds they perceive as unlikely to result in a ticket," says Insurance Institute senior transportation engineer Richard Retting. "Presumably, difference in perception of the amount of enforcement among these areas were major factors in the higher or lower travel speeds."

Selling speed
A study at the Land Transport Safety Authority of New Zealand did a broader study of speeds in the United States and also found higher speeds resulted in more deaths.

The New Zealand researchers studied death rates on rural intestates where the speed limits had been increased from 55 mph to 75 mph. Of those, the study finds a 38 percent increase, or about 780 more deaths.

The states included in the study that raised their speed limits to 75 mph were all in the west. For the states increasing speeds to 70 mph, the percentage of deaths rose by 35 percent, or more than 1,100 deaths, according to the study.

Another factor pushing speeds to the limit is what's marketed on television. In studying commercials, the Institute found performance and speed is most often marketed in television commercials.

In reviewing television ads from July of this year, performance was the feature highlighted most often in all car classes. Safety was only mentioned in two percent of ads, according to the Institute's review.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent agency funded by insurance companies to conduct roadway research and test vehicles for safety.

[vorticon]

i bet that study cost them a couple million dollars to

[Pfunk]

Well I can attest to the fact that drivers in Atlanta are insane.  Dont even bother getting in the two far left lanes if you dont wanna go over 65mph, 70-90 is a common speed in these lanes if traffic is "light".  Traffic in Atlanta has surpased L.A. as the worst in the nation.

[ra]

Originally posted by Pfunk
Well I can attest to the fact that drivers in Atlanta are insane.  Dont even bother getting in the two far left lanes if you dont wanna go over 65mph, 70-90 is a common speed in these lanes if traffic is "light".  Traffic in Atlanta has surpased L.A. as the worst in the nation.

70-90 mph sounds like good traffic, not bad traffic.  

Many studies show that increased speed limits have no effect on accident rates, or even lower the rates.

http://www.publicpurpose.com/ic-speed.htm

[Modas]

Originally posted by Pfunk
Well I can attest to the fact that drivers in Atlanta are insane.  Dont even bother getting in the two far left lanes if you dont wanna go over 65mph, 70-90 is a common speed in these lanes if traffic is "light".  Traffic in Atlanta has surpased L.A. as the worst in the nation.

I can verify that.  Drove thru Atlanta a couple of years ago in one of the worst downpours I've ever been in.  I could BARELY see 20 feet in front of me.

I was going 60 (against my better judgement) because I was terrified of getting rear-ended by the morons passing by me a 80-90 mph (no exageration).  In a three mile stretch, I saw four different vehicle hydroplane and spin out.

Did anyone slow down?  Hell no.  It took me two hours to peel my fingers from around the steering wheel.  THAT was some white knuckle driving.

There is nothing wrong with going fast.  I personally rather enjoy it ....  

If conditions warrant it.  

The problem with more power and higher speeds, people want to use it when the road conditions are bad, or in high traffic or while on the friggin cell phone .  Thus resulting in more deaths.

my .02 worth

[FUNKED1]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent agency funded by insurance companies to conduct roadway research and test vehicles for safety.

Naaaa, no bias.    
IIHS has been spewing crap like this for decades.  Just more futile bleating from the Naderites who would child-proof our lives in the name of "safety".

[vorticon]

so funked youre  saying going fast is just the same saftey as going slow and theres no reason for speed limits ???

[Swoop]

Well some study done recently over here has concluded that only 7% of accidents are due to excessive or inapropriate speed.

Quoted from the BBC 2 TV show "Top Gear", 8pm last Sunday.

[mietla]

Originally posted by vorticon
so funked youre  saying going fast is just the same saftey as going slow and theres no reason for speed limits ???

Those idiotic carpool lanes are probably way more dangerous than a higher speed limit. They create a significant speed differential. As a result you have cars moving at 10 mph trying to jump inot a lane where cars are driving 65 mph and vice versa.

They also create incentive to switch lanes. The carpoolers move through all lanes to the left and then do the same to the right to exit.

Speed does not kill, speed diferrential does. It is way safer to have 3 lanes where everybody drives at 90 mph (so no incentive to change lanes), that to have two lanes at 10 mph, one at 65 mph, and constant lane changes left and right.

[Squirrel]

Originally posted by Pfunk
Well I can attest to the fact that drivers in Atlanta are insane.  Dont even bother getting in the two far left lanes if you dont wanna go over 65mph, 70-90 is a common speed in these lanes if traffic is "light".  Traffic in Atlanta has surpased L.A. as the worst in the nation.

As a former veteran of a 285 commute this is absolutely true.  90+ mph in heavy traffic is not uncommon and 70+ is the norm.  It is insane.. glad I dont have to go near town these days.

[FUNKED1]

Lower speed limits = more tickets = higher insurance rates = more profit for insurance companies.  The government also profits from increased fine revenue, which is why they usually get on the bandwagon as well.  If you believe anything the government or the IIHS says about safety you are a very gullible person.

[BB Gun]

DEATH rates go up, but do accident rates?

Its not that there's necessarily more accidents, but those that DO occur are more likely to result in a fatality.  Which of course makes plenty of sense.  

BB

[Maniac]

What does the Germans have to say about this?

Aoutobahn anyone?

[nuchpatrick]

Its not the speed that kills..It's the lose nut behinde the wheel that does the most damage.

[cpxxx]

Remember cars don't kill people, people kill people. I don't see how higher speed limits result in more deaths. More like powerful cars in the hand of morons result in more deaths.  I also can't understand how interstates, freeways or motorways are more dangerous with higher speed limits as these are the only place high speed limits apply.  They should in fact be the safest. No oncoming traffic and several lanes to play with.  Surely it's a combination of drink driving and speeding in the wrong places like busy towns or twisty country roads?

What drives me nuts are slow drivers holding up everyone else. I came across this recently on a drive back from the west. Some clown in a minivan was driving between 35 and 45mph on a road with a speed limit of 60mph.  I was tenth in line and I could see a line of headlights stretching back in the distance behind me.  I tried to get ahead by cutting through a bypassed town but was foiled by a jeep and had to watch as no less 57 cars passed in convoy behind the idiot. When I finally got past him 20 miles later he actually flashed his lights at me as if I was doing somethiing wrong. Only my girlfriend stopped me I was ready to stop and punch out his lights. He must have been passed by no less than 20 cars by then.  That was more dangerous than speeding because of his ignorance and stupidity dozens of people had to make risky overtaking manoeuvres.  How many people get killed overtaking slow drivers every year?