Driving Freedoms - National Motorists Association

Spring 2011Driving FreedomsSpeed Studies of Same Road with 55mph Speed limit and 70mph Speed limitaverage = 66.4mph Variance = 36.1 average = 67.7mph Variance = 27.8 (-33%)SPEED STUDY, fREEWaYSpeed number of Vehicles additional5 5 < llllllllllllllll S p e e d L im it (2 .4 % )5 6 lllllll5 7 llllllll5 8 lllllllllllllllllll5 9 lllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 0 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 1 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 2 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 3 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 4 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 5 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 6 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 5 0 th P e rcentile6 7 llllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 8 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 9 lllllllllllllllllllllll7 0 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 1 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 2 lllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 3 lllllllllllllllllllll 8 5 th P e rcentile7 4 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 5 llllllllllllllll7 6 llllllllllll7 7 llllllll7 8 lllllll7 9 llllll8 0 lllllllll 2 .1 % @ 8 0 + m p h8 1 ll8 28 3 l8 4 + ll658 Vehicles, 17 minute studytime (rural), daytime (rural), and freewaydriving − bottom out close to zero deviationfrom average speed, or slightly tothe plus deviation side. This implies thatthe safest traffic flow occurs when speedvariance among vehicles is near zero.Second, note how steep the crashinvolvement curves become when thedeviation from average speed becomesmore and more negative. Slower driverscreate a much higher risk of collisionthan drivers who are at or above theaverage traffic speed.The MSP have an enlightenedculture, one that values traffic safety overcollecting revenue through commandand control tactics such as speed traps.The MSP were instrumental in draftingMichigan’s Public Act 85, a law thatrequires localities to base speed limits onproven, scientific methods, like that ofthe 85th percentile.When several communities were stillusing antiquated speed limits and wereissuing speeding tickets accordingly,Megge and the MSP spoke out loudlyto the media about the disregard for thelawful requirements of PA 85.It is also noteworthy that the MSPSPEED STUDY, fREEWaYSpeed number of Vehicles additional5 5 < lll5 6 ll5 7 llllllll5 8 lllllllllllllll5 9 lllllllll6 0 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 1 llllllllllllllllllllll6 2 llllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 3 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 4 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 5 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 6 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 7 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll6 8 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 5 0 th P e rc e n tile6 9 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 0 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll S p e e d L im it7 1 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 2 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 8 5 th P e rc e n tile7 3 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll7 4 llllllllllllllllllll7 5 llllllll7 6 llllllllllll7 7 llllllllllllll7 8 llllll7 9 llllllll8 0 ll 1 .1 % @ 8 0 + m p h8 1 l8 28 3 l8 4 + llll721 Vehicles, 18 minute studyFigure 2were instrumental in encouraging achange to Michigan’s standard workzone speed limits. The current “45Where Workers Present,” as opposedto a blanket lower limit with or withoutworkers present, might not have beenenacted without the help of the MSP.Not all is peachy keen for drivers inMichigan, however. The state’s DriverResponsibility Act (DRA) penalizesdrivers over and above usual traffic fines,particularly those with specific priortraffic violations, or who have accumulatedseven or more points on theirdriving records. $800 million in revenuewas collected under the DRA between2004 and 2009, with most of that moneybeing deposited in the state’s GeneralFund. Our members in Michigan havebeen very active in working for therepeal of the DRA. Last September,the State House of Representativesvoted unanimously for that repeal.Unfortunately, the State Senate did notpick up the issue before the legislativesession ended, effectively killing theinitiative for that year.The DRA activity is not a reflectionon the enforcement responsibilities of theMSP or the active work they are doing toadvocate safer and more realistic speedlimits throughout the state.The NMA is pleased to endorsethe efforts of law enforcement agencieslike the Michigan State Police, who aretruly helping motorists by educatingboth legislators and the electorate on thevirtues of rational traffic regulations andproven engineering methods. •Crash Involvement vs. SpeedFigure 3