Driving Faster, Living Longer

* In the June 4 story “Zoom Times: South O.C. Freeway Speeds Climbing,” you state, “Despite the rising speeds, the number of fatalities on the freeways has remained flat or actually declined, mirroring a national trend that many experts attribute to better engineered cars and increased safety-belt use.”

“Despite the rising speeds,” indeed! Fatality rates, which are nowhere mentioned in the story, have decreased markedly with the increase in speed limits.

As pointed out by the National Motorists Assn. and as illustrated by the government’s data, the results are quite clear: After four years of stagnation, the fatality rate suddenly began to decrease in 1996, after the 1995 repeal of the 55 mph speed limits.

Possible underlying factors include reduced “exposure time” per trip since trips are completed more quickly and less congestion because of less time per car spent on the freeway. Other factors include increased driver alertness and decreased fatigue due to higher speeds and shorter trips and decreased speed variation between slower and faster traffic.

The suggestion that higher speeds are actually safer may seem counterintuitive, but a review of historical data from the U.S. and from Germany’s autobahns supports that idea.

RICHARD BOYER

San Clemente