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Re: MR. TRAFFIC



kennystar@aol.com (KENNY MORSE) wrote:

>For those of you who live in the Los Angeles area and have seen me on television or heard me on 
>talkradio in my role as MR. TRAFFIC (or have been in my traffic school classes).....here is MY 
>take on the repeal on the laws:

>#1: Although the Senate & house WILL probably pass the bill, the administration has already 
>indicated they are against it because of the increase in lives lost  (hey....they want to keep taxpayers 

>alive as long as possible to pay and pay!)  Do they have any point?  Well.....I'm in a unique position 

>to know what drivers REALLY do.....I speak to more people who get tickets than anyone else in 

Really think your position is that unique?   I'm in THE position (along with
millions of others) to know what drivers REALLY do - I drive on roads and
highways !!!


>California via my classes and media work, and in the areas where they raised the speed limit up to 
>65 (in CA , there are 1704 miles of 65 roadway) the good news is that there hase NOT been an 
>appreciable rise in fatalities.  Why? Because those roads here in CA are in "the boonies".  Whas 
>HAS happened, is that in tose areas, the FLOW OF TRAFFIC is between 75-80.  This is the 
>point....if the states reset their speeds to higher than 55, people WILL STILL take 
>advantage.....people will STILL get tickets and the state will STILL make money!  Will more 
>people die?  YEP!  In America, the #1 factor involved in auto fatalities is SPEED. (Strangely 
>enough, the #1 cause of accidents here in CA is NOT speeding.....it's 
>TAILGAITING....SPEEDING is #2).  SO.................raising the speed limit up to 65 will NOT 
>affect anyone NOW getting tickets between 56 and 64...that hardly happens now.  It will only 
>trigger MORE TICKETS, MORE ACCIDENTS, MORE FATALITIES!

Depends on what you mean by "#1 factor".  If you mean what's the most commonly
cited reason listed on the accident report you're right, speed is the great
catchall when the cops have no idea what else might have caused the acident.
I don't believe there is a box to check for "differential speed too great" or
"I have no idea what caused it".  The real #1 cause of auto fatalities is
running into something, whether it's another car, or a bridge rail, or the
side of a mountain.  It doesn't matter what speed people go (under most
circumstances) if they would just avoid hitting things.  That's why the
fatality rate has steadily dropped year after year after year inspite of the
ups and downs in the speed limit.  Roads are safer then they used to be.  Most
have better guardrail, better sight distance, and minimum 30 foot clear zones
for recovery.  Sand barrels are deployed in front of fixed objects, etc, etc.


>Here's MY solution:  Raise the speed limit up to 65 (hey, EVERYONE is doing it anyway and will 
>NOT stop doing it!!!!).  Let people go 65 and NOT get penalized for it. BUT.......if you get caught 

>going over 70.....minimum $250 fine!  

Thanks but no thanks, we have enough Nannyism in gvt and absurd and arbitary
penalties.  Raise the limit back to what it used to be on most interstate
highways, 75 mph and have a public education campagn to teach the drivers the
difference between the fast lane and slow lane and how to look in their
mirrors.


>I wish this was like the Autobahn.  I LOVE going fast as much as anyone (my first 5 cars were 
>Vettes).  But since the education of drivers SUCKS, and people think they own the road, and 
>courtesy is a long lost thing. we NEED laws to protect us from others, and speed limits are the #1 
>laws we need.  I know.....I'm the guy who hears the stories from the majority of drivers.....YOU 
>just know what happens to you and your best friends!  I have learned from the majority....I pass it 
>on to you

Well if the education of drivers sucks then lets fix THAT, not dumb down the
speed limits.  We don't NEED more laws, we need people with SKILLS or else
don't give them a licsense.