WILL HIGHER SPEED LIMITS KILL

In 1974, the Federal Government established a national speed limit of 55 mph (25 m/s). The limit was instituted at the time of the Arab oil embargo when gasoline was scarce; however, the unexpected benefit of the lower speed limit was a 16 percent drop in highway fatalities. The 55-mph speed limit, though, is quickly disappearing. The United States Congress repealed the national limit at the end of 1995, turning speed limit authority over to the states. Eastern states are expected to keep limits closer to 55 mph than western states--some of which immediately raised their limits to 75 mph (34 m/s). This article examines arguments on both sides of the speed issue and gives a profile of the worst offenders. A sidebar describes a unique program for young speeders.