On Sep 22, 2004, at 11:42 PM, Robert Rolf wrote:

>> What makes you think they're preventable?
>
> Statistics from when your speed limits were dropped to 55MPH.
> Highway death rates declines significantly, then rose again
> as the limit was removed, in spite of safer cars decades later.
>
>
Hmm.  Which statistics are you looking at?  I had the impression
that this was expected to happen, and didn't, and can find web
sites to that effect (http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-346es.html),
but I have no idea who's lies best with statistics these days.

there is also here:
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/finalreport.cfm? 
title=States&stateid=0&year=2002&title2=Fatalities_and_Fatality_Rates
which shows that the number of fatalities remained more or less
constant when the 55mph limit was removed (1995), and that the
fatality rate per mile driven has been in steady decline since 1994...

BillW

_______________________________________________
http://www.piclist.com
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist