Those grim predictions made by repressive scarepolice -- that the nation's highways would become a living driver's ed. film when Congress abolished the national speed limit in late 1995 -- have turned out to be completely false, according to scientific studies released recently.

"6,400 additional deaths each year," warned the do-gooders, "a cost of $20 billion to the taxpayers." National traffic statistics for the year 1996 aren't available yet, but according to the California Highway Patrol, fatal crashes in California declined by 5% last year, the first full year with the higher speed limits. And speeding tickets fell 17%, a boon to motorists. The mileage death rate, a key statistic, is also expected to decline to its lowest rate in history.

With the increase in the speed limit to 55 to 65, it was also found that motorists did not significantly increase their average speed (68.3 MPH to 68.6 MPH), showing that individuals know better than any centralized government what is best for them.

In Montana, where there was no numerical daytime speed limit before der Federal Knows Best shackles were snapped on in 1974, the repeal meant an immediate reversion to the "Montanabahns." And fatalities fell 8% last year. Imagine the lives that could have been saved if the 55MPH limit had never been imposed. Perhaps California fatalities would have decreased by a like amount if they completely abolished their speed limit, instead of just raising it.

Lower speed freaks are now in full retreat. "It's a battle that has been lost," says Kathy Hickey, a Washington beltway lobbyist for the repressive Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Meanwhile, James J. Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association, an organization that braved the odds when it spearheaded the campaign to repeal the national speed limit, is quietly pleased with the evidence which vindicates the common sense view.

"You can be guaranteed if the fatalities went up as a result of the increased speeds that it would have been plastered all over every daily, weekly and monthly in the U.S. Our predictions were that there would be no significant changes in fatalities one way or another. Obviously 38 states felt the same way when they raised their speed limits."

[05/03/1997]