Speed kills
Setting the speed limit at 70 mph for I-79 from Washington through Greene County makes no sense safetywise.
The road already is a racetrack, with little or no enforcement of the existing speed limit. Making the speed limit 70 mph means some drivers will go 77 mph if they believe they can beat the radar. Enormous vehicles being driven by people who can’t handle them or aren’t paying attention, mixed with 80,000-pound trucks, double trailers, giant motorhomes and all manner of rental trucks going 70 mph or faster, will lead to monumental crashes. What is a driver of a smaller vehicle to do when surrounded by these vehicles?
Auto fatalities have fallen due to increased safety measures, most notably shoulder restraints and air bags. Speed negates these safety measures.
A 55 mph speed limit has also been proven to be the most efficient way to conserve gasoline. For every 5-mile increase in speed, a gasoline engine loses 3 percent efficiency.
Speed kills. We should have a limit of 60 mph on rural interstates and 50 mph on urban interstates.
Where are we going in such a hurry?
Jim Hassett
Monroeville