Paul, at 10:41 on Mar 22 1997, you wrote to David Drummond ...

PE>>>>> Doubling the speed limit will increase the number of 
PE>>>>> deaths, assuming everything else is held constant.  It's 
PE>>>>> as basic as that.

DD>> Educating the drivers would halve the number of deaths.  
DD>> It's as basic as that.

PE> You don't have any evidence of that, and even if you did, it 
PE> doesn't alter my statement.

If drivers were better educated, logic would dictate that a percentage of
them would become better drivers.

Logic would also suggest that better drivers would have fewer accidents. 
Does it follow that fewer accidents would produce fewer deaths?

DD>>>> Ah, so exceeding the speed limit is NOT the cause, it's 
DD>>>> how fast one goes?

PE>>> Think about a 100k zone, where most fatalities occur, and 
PE>>> you'll realise they're one and the same.

PE> Oh shit, I see what you mean now, yes, you're right, 
PE> strictly speaking it is the speed, not the speed limit.  
PE> They are only the same if people observe the limit.

DD>> Was I any more likely to have an accident because the sign 
DD>> said 80 than if it said 100?

PE> No, but the chances of an accident on that road were 
PE> different, because of ALL the people driving on that road, 
PE> instead of just you, the average speed they would have 
PE> travelled at would have been lower because of the speed 
PE> sign. 

The stretch of road I spoke of has NOT ssen a rise in the number of road
deaths since the speed limit (and according to you, the average speed of
motorists) was raised by 20%

David
@EOT:

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