Violence on Southern California Freeways

The outbreak of shootings on our freeways is only a progressive step in the violence which has been growing over the years. The cause of this rising antagonism between highway drivers is so clearly evident that even our law-enforcement agencies should be able to understand it.

Ever since the federal government assumed state’s rights by setting a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour (recently relaxed) without also assuming the enforcement of that law, we have been faced with an ever-increasing number of lawbreakers on the nation’s highways. More than three-quarters of those on the freeways drive between 65 and 75 miles per hour. In order to maintain those speeds they must weave through the slower traffic, tailgating and cutting in and out. This breeds antagonism towards other law-abiding drivers.

So who’s to blame? Only those with the responsibility of enforcing the laws. This encompasses the whole spectrum of government. County, state and federal agencies have the obligation of law enforcement. County police officers should patrol the freeways; however if they cannot do better there than they are doing on surface streets it would be a waste of time. State highway patrol officers routinely ignore lawbreakers driving at 72 m.p.h. and do a poor job on those exceeding that figure. And the federal government--perhaps greatest at fault in that it is supposed to limit allocation of certain highway funds or surplus monies to conditions involving performance. These include, among others, the enforcing of speed limits.

BRUCE H. PLANCK

Mission Viego