Higher Speed Limits a Bad Idea

There is no question that fatal crashes rise with highway speed limits.

An overwhelming body of evidence shows speed increases the likelihood and severity of a crash. In 1995 the US Congress removed the maximum speed limit. From April to December 1996, states who raised their speed limits saw a 12 per cent increase in fatalities on interstates and freeways and a six per cent increase on all roads.

The Americans lowered highway speed limits in 1974, then raised them again in 1987. A 1984 study found the lowered speed limit of 55 mph had saved between 2,000 and 4,000 lives in 1983. However, when states began to raise the speed limit to 65 mph in 1987, collisions increased. One study reported a 27 per cent increase in fatal crashes on rural interstate highways where the speed limit was raised. Another showed that where the speed limit had been raised, there were 28 per cent more deaths, 38 per cent more serious injuries and 24 per cent more moderate injuries.

The Canada Safety Council identifies several critical factors which are never considered by proponents of higher speed limits. These include:

• The impact on safety and insurance rates due to well-documented higher risks.
• The impact on the environment due to increases in fuel consumption.
• Enforcement capabilities: Will "Zero Tolerance" apply? Will the new speed limit apply equally in both rural and urban sections of the highway?
• The needs of older drivers — drivers over 80 are the fastest growing segment of Ontario's driving population.
• The increase in older vehicles on the road.
• The risk involved in catching high-speed offenders is unacceptable to both the police and the public.

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