SPEED BUMPS

During the big space race of the 1960’s, NASA spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to develop pens that would write in the weightlessness of space. The Russians used pencils. Hold that thought.

In 1999 the National Transportation Safety Board reported 42,000 traffic deaths (that number has since increased to 51,000). Of those 42,000, about 20,000 died at the scene of the accident and 22,000 died at or on the way to the hospital. A plan was developed to reduce the death count, which, though it absolutely boggles the mind, does give us a clearer vision of the governmental thought process.

The NTSB began its trip with the assumption that the number of accidents on the road was a given, an unavoidable part of modern transportation, but that the number of deaths could still be reduced. Their solution was to have the auto industry install an SOS device in all cars that would automatically signal paramedics in the event of a collision, thereby saving time and lives. That's the part of the process where they were trying to develop pens instead of using pencils. That's the bush league part

I do not accept the number of accidents as a given - I see it as an inevitable result of lazy advertizing, corporate greed, and bad planning. Most fatal accidents are caused by exactly what you would think - excessive speed. Reducing speed would reduce the number of accidents (and fatalities). Can’t be done, you say? Bullshit! There are a dozen good ways to slow down American drivers, none of which would cost much, all of which would work. Here are a few.

- Slower cars. Duh! The top speed limit in America is 65 mph (there are a few places where you can legally go 70, but not many) yet most new cars can do 140. Why is that? It’s because the auto industry decided long ago to market them not as transportation vehicles but as race cars, as toys. The toy is powerful, therefore the owner is powerful. I don't think this marketing plan worth 51,000 lives every year. Perhaps they can think of something better. God knows they make enough money.
- Annoying alarms. Today’s cars have alarm devices that ring incessantly if the door is ajar, if the seatbelt isn’t fastened, if the passenger farts (not really, but that would be cool). Hello! How about a speed alarm?
- High tech. Install speed gun/camera/combo units on every mile of freeway. Money from speeding tickets would pay for each unit in a week. Use the excess to end world hunger and cure cancer. Repeat speeders lose their licenses.
- Rat yourself out (1). A computer chip automatically reports a car when it speeds.
- Rat yourself out (2). Attach a small transmitter to every speed limit sign in the city. When passing cars exceed the limit, the transmitter activates the computer chip and reports the car.

All of these solutions are painfully easy, but the require a population that is serious about reducing the number of deaths on the road.

“What if there’s an emergency? What if I have to get my wife to the hospital? I’m goin’ 90!” As far as I’m concerned, you’re out of luck. If you’re in that much of a hurry, chances are it’s your own fault. You simply do not get to endanger the entire community because you have a problem.

"But I'm a good driver and I like to drive fast!" You're a moron, and a dangerous moron at that. Rent a Porsche, drive out to Willow Springs race track, and race your ass off. Whiner!

September 11th was a great American tragedy, with 3,000 innocent people dying at the World Trade Center. The greater tragedy is that seventeen times that many people, equally innocent, die on the road, year after year, practically without notice.

Some traffic deaths probably are unavoidable. It is in the nature of the beast. But with a government and a people willing to look reality in the face, we can easily reduce the number by 50 to 75 percent. Cars are not toys

A foot on either side.

1 XCZR