Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or Improved Roadways

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522654/

Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or
Improved Roadways

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing a new study on
highway death rates. The study shows that the roadway environment is
becoming less safe as speed limits go up and progress on drinking and
driving and safety belt use has slowed or stalled.

Newswise — The designs of passenger vehicles have been improving for
years, becoming more protective of their occupants in crashes. Without
these improvements, the motor vehicle death rate per registered
vehicle would have stopped declining in 1994 and started going up.
This is the main finding of a study by the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety.

“Death rates per vehicle and per mile have been going down for
decades, and they still are. This study shows why,” says Institute
president Adrian Lund. “In recent years it’s the vehicles, not better
drivers or improved roadways. The study reveals
not only the importance of the vehicle design changes and the kinds of
vehicles motorists are choosing to drive but, on the downside, the
loss of momentum for effective traffic safety policies on belt use,
alcohol-impaired driving, and speeding.”

(snip)

In article >,
laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE > wrote:

> http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522654/
>
> Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or
> Improved Roadways
>
> The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing a new study on
> highway death rates. The study shows that the roadway environment is
> becoming less safe as speed limits go up and progress on drinking and
> driving and safety belt use has slowed or stalled.
>
> Newswise — The designs of passenger vehicles have been improving for
> years, becoming more protective of their occupants in crashes. Without
> these improvements, the motor vehicle death rate per registered
> vehicle would have stopped declining in 1994 and started going up.
> This is the main finding of a study by the Insurance Institute for
> Highway Safety.
>
> “Death rates per vehicle and per mile have been going down for
> decades, and they still are. This study shows why,” says Institute
> president Adrian Lund. “In recent years it’s the vehicles, not better
> drivers or improved roadways. The study reveals
> not only the importance of the vehicle design changes and the kinds of
> vehicles motorists are choosing to drive but, on the downside, the
> loss of momentum for effective traffic safety policies on belt use,
> alcohol-impaired driving, and speeding.”
>
> (snip)


The IIHS has a vested interest in keeping speed limits artificially low.

Next time, try quoting a source that isn't a mouthpiece for the auto
insurance companies...

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

(Alan Baker) wrote in
:

> In article >,
> laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE > wrote:
>
>> http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522654/
>>
>> Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or
>> Improved Roadways
>>
>> The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ...
>> ...
>
>
> The IIHS has a vested interest in keeping speed limits artificially
> low.

No. They have a vested interest in keeping the profits of auto
insurance companies has high as possible, which means reducing auto
insurance claims.

By extension, this means they have a vested interest in reducing the
number of auto accidents, particularly the expensive sort that
involve injuries. If they think they can do that by cajoling states
into reducing speed limits, that's what lobbyists are for.

As an aside, what's an "artificially low" speed limit? Is each road
born with some sort of "natural" speed limit?

And, you should ->really know better than to respond to any post from
".

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

In article >, Bert Hyman wrote:

>> The IIHS has a vested interest in keeping speed limits artificially
>> low.
>
> No. They have a vested interest in keeping the profits of auto
> insurance companies has high as possible, which means reducing auto
> insurance claims.
>
> By extension, this means they have a vested interest in reducing the
> number of auto accidents, particularly the expensive sort that
> involve injuries. If they think they can do that by cajoling states
> into reducing speed limits, that's what lobbyists are for.

Lower speed limits do not have any effect on claims, except maybe to
increase the number of collisions as shown by studies such as:

Cirillo, J.A., Interstate System Accident Research Study II Interim
Report II. Public Roads, Vol 35, No 3, August 1969, pp. 71-75.
Federal Highway Administration. Synthesis of Speed Zoning Practice.
Report No. FHwA/RD-85/096. Washington, D.C. July 1985.
Federal Highway Administration. Traffic Speed Trends. Washington, D.C.
1969-1975.
Solomon, D., Accidents on Main Rural Highways Related to Speed, Driver,
and Vehicle. Bureau of Public Roads (precursor to FHwA). July 1964.
Federal Highway Administration. Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed
Limits. Report No. FHwA/RD-92/084. McLean, VA. June 1996.

Low speed limits increase insurance company profits by allowing them to
surcharge safe drivers. It's a regulated industry with competition and as
such they have to act like the credit card companies and use fees and
penalties as a profit center. Speeding tickets allow the insurance
companies to surcharge drivers who don't have claims. It's pure profit.

Remember, it's a cash grab. This is why governments have all sorts of
schemes where a ticket doesn't get reported to insurance companies. This is
to get people to roll over and pay. Being upstream, the government can
undercut the insurance companies. It's a game to get into the wallets of
the people, simple as that.

> As an aside, what's an "artificially low" speed limit? Is each road
> born with some sort of "natural" speed limit?

Yes. Google 85th percentile method.

> As an aside, what's an "artificially low" speed limit? Is each road
> born with some sort of "natural" speed limit?
>

Well yes, as a matter of fact. Every road has an engineered design speed.
That is, a speed that it is designed to safely carry traffic at. Many
Interstates have design speeds in the 80s, 90s or even higher in MPH, BY
1950's STANDARDS (cars have improved greatly since then, making the road
design able to support even higher traffic speeds). So many Interstates can
safely support triple-digit speeds of traffic flow today. These same
Interstates often have 85th percentile speeds in the 80s, and posted speed
limits of 55MPH, or a posted limit at the ZERO percentile range. -Dave

(Brent P) wrote in
:

> Low speed limits increase insurance company profits by allowing
> them to surcharge safe drivers. It's a regulated industry with
> competition and as such they have to act like the credit card
> companies and use fees and penalties as a profit center. Speeding
> tickets allow the insurance companies to surcharge drivers who
> don't have claims. It's pure profit.

So, you're saying there's more money in upping the rates than there
is in reducing the payouts?

What a fascinating racket.

> Remember, it's a cash grab. This is why governments have all sorts
> of schemes where a ticket doesn't get reported to insurance
> companies. This is to get people to roll over and pay. Being
> upstream, the government can undercut the insurance companies. It's
> a game to get into the wallets of the people, simple as that.

While I have a just ->slight reluctance to accept your cynical
analysis of insurance company tactics (just a slight one), I have
absolutely no such problems with government actions.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

In article >, Bert Hyman wrote:
> (Brent P) wrote in
> :
>
>> Low speed limits increase insurance company profits by allowing
>> them to surcharge safe drivers. It's a regulated industry with
>> competition and as such they have to act like the credit card
>> companies and use fees and penalties as a profit center. Speeding
>> tickets allow the insurance companies to surcharge drivers who
>> don't have claims. It's pure profit.

> So, you're saying there's more money in upping the rates than there
> is in reducing the payouts?
> What a fascinating racket.

Ahh.. so I see you're going to build strawmen.

How do you make more money on a driver who doesn't cause collisions? How?

>> Remember, it's a cash grab. This is why governments have all sorts
>> of schemes where a ticket doesn't get reported to insurance
>> companies. This is to get people to roll over and pay. Being
>> upstream, the government can undercut the insurance companies. It's
>> a game to get into the wallets of the people, simple as that.

> While I have a just ->slight reluctance to accept your cynical
> analysis of insurance company tactics (just a slight one), I have
> absolutely no such problems with government actions.

Then you probably support the new london supreme court decision too.

(Brent P) wrote in
:

> In article >, Bert Hyman
> wrote:
>> (Brent P) wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> Low speed limits increase insurance company profits by allowing
>>> them to surcharge safe drivers. It's a regulated industry with
>>> competition and as such they have to act like the credit card
>>> companies and use fees and penalties as a profit center. Speeding
>>> tickets allow the insurance companies to surcharge drivers who
>>> don't have claims. It's pure profit.
>
>> So, you're saying there's more money in upping the rates than
>> there is in reducing the payouts?
>> What a fascinating racket.
>
> Ahh.. so I see you're going to build strawmen.

I am? Then it's with your straw.

> How do you make more money on a driver who doesn't cause
> collisions? How?

Umm... Just as you said: Raise their rates. You suggest that
insurance companies cajole (or coerce) governments to lower speed
limits in order to entrap drivers so their rates can be raised.

That ->is what you said, wasn't it?

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

Bert Hyman wrote:
> (Alan Baker) wrote in
> :
>
> > In article >,
> > laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE > wrote:
> >
> >> http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522654/
> >>
> >> Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or
> >> Improved Roadways
> >>
> >> The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ...
> >> ...
> >
> >
> > The IIHS has a vested interest in keeping speed limits artificially
> > low.
>
> No. They have a vested interest in keeping the profits of auto
> insurance companies has high as possible, which means reducing auto
> insurance claims.
>
> By extension, this means they have a vested interest in reducing the
> number of auto accidents, particularly the expensive sort that
> involve injuries. If they think they can do that by cajoling states
> into reducing speed limits, that's what lobbyists are for.

Can you prove that they actually want to reduce the number of
accidents? I sure can't. What they want to do is increase the number
of people they're allowed to surcharge.

>
> As an aside, what's an "artificially low" speed limit? Is each road
> born with some sort of "natural" speed limit?
>

Actually, yes. google for "85th percentile method."

> And, you should ->really know better than to respond to any post from
> ".
>

Sometimes it is hard to resist, everyone needs a punching bag.

nate
> --
> Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 18:10:51 GMT, Alan Baker >
wrote:

>In article >,
> laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE > wrote:
>
>> http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522654/
>>
>> Declining Death Rates Due to Safer Vehicles, Not Better Drivers Or
>> Improved Roadways
>>
>> The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing a new study on
>> highway death rates. The study shows that the roadway environment is
>> becoming less safe as speed limits go up and progress on drinking and
>> driving and safety belt use has slowed or stalled.
>>
>> Newswise — The designs of passenger vehicles have been improving for
>> years, becoming more protective of their occupants in crashes. Without
>> these improvements, the motor vehicle death rate per registered
>> vehicle would have stopped declining in 1994 and started going up.
>> This is the main finding of a study by the Insurance Institute for
>> Highway Safety.
>>
>> “Death rates per vehicle and per mile have been going down for
>> decades, and they still are. This study shows why,” says Institute
>> president Adrian Lund. “In recent years it’s the vehicles, not better
>> drivers or improved roadways. The study reveals
>> not only the importance of the vehicle design changes and the kinds of
>> vehicles motorists are choosing to drive but, on the downside, the
>> loss of momentum for effective traffic safety policies on belt use,
>> alcohol-impaired driving, and speeding.”
>>
>> (snip)
>
>
>The IIHS has a vested interest in keeping speed limits artificially low.
>
>Next time, try quoting a source that isn't a mouthpiece for the auto
>insurance companies...


Attacking the messenger again??