65 MPH: Winners and Losers

摘要

Speed limits on rural interstate roadways were increased from 55 mph to 65 mph in 38 states during 1987 and in 2 additional states during 1988. The paper examines the benefits and costs of the increase. Increasing the speed limit had four principal effects, all time-related: travellers saved travel time, increased fatalities cost future years of life, increased nonfatal injuries caused impairment that cost years of functioning, and increased crashes caused traffic jams that delay travel. These time-related impacts of the higher speed limit are the major focus of the paper. A closing section examines other major costs and benefits. Much of the evidence comes from prior studies of the changes in speeds, crashes, and injuries resulting from the speed limit increase. Minor impacts like a reduction in speeding tickets or an increase in vehicle wear are ignored.