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From: tll@druxu.UUCP (LaidigTL)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Fast driving
Message-ID: <896@druxu.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Jan-84 11:11:01 EST
Article-I.D.: druxu.896
Posted: Thu Jan 26 11:11:01 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jan-84 01:08:26 EST
References: <249@houxb.UUCP>, <1643@randvax.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 24

I recently saw a graph of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, for
the years ~1965 to ~1982.  This graph showed a steady decrease until
1973, a sudden drop, a level stretch until 1980, then the beginning of
another gradual decrease.  The sudden drop coincides with the reduction
of the speed limit, and amounted to (maybe as much as) .5 person per 100
million vehicle miles.  This, on the surface, looks like a justification
of the lower speed limit.  I contend that it is not, however.

Some calculations:  at 70mph, 100 million vehicle miles takes 1.4
million vehicle hours; and at 55mph, 100 million vehicle miles takes 1.8
million vehicle hours.  The difference, 0.4 million vehicle hours, is
about 45 years of driving 24 hours per day.  So, if there is only one
person in each vehicle, we are wasting 45 years of people's lives to
save .5 lives.  This is 90 years wasted to save one life.  The average
number of passengers is larger than 1 (although maybe not much), so
there is really more than 90 years wasted.  Also, if you look at the
driving time as time taken from your waking hours only (I hope most
people don't drive while they're asleep), 135 years of driving 16 hours
per day is wasted to save one life.  I don't feel that this is a good
trade-off.

			Tom Laidig
			AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
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