Show TIME FOR REASON editorial at first glance the statement by safety authorities that speed is the number I 1 cause of highway deaths and injuries has a far away sound of no particular significance the picture of an america gone speed crazy has been exaggerated by alarmists ever since the flap per days following world war I 1 and a good many people will find it had to believe that our highways are a teeming chaos of careening speed demons As a matter of fact most of us in the course of a i day s driving have encountered one or two insanely reck less speeders seldom more certainly the proportion is nothing like one out of ten what then is all the shouting about A careful analysis of what safety experts mean by 1 I speed clears up the mystery although it affords little cause for complacency far from relieving us of personal responsibility in the matter we find the finger of accusation pointed directly at mr and mrs average motorist for if speed means as we learn not only such clearly dangerous speeds as 60 70 and 80 miles an hour but also speeds of 40 30 or even 20 miles an hour under adverse conditions then in effect the tragic toll of highway accidents means that a cc sub proportion of us are lacking in good judgment that is a harsh indictment it hits us in a very tender spot pride in our native american common sense As a nation we are individualists and proud of it we are proud of our freedom of choice freedom of initiative freedom to make our own o wn decisions let us hope that the number I 1 highway killer is not due to our inability to exercise good judgment but rath er to our ignorance of the conditions affecting safe driving speeds let us set about correcting this ignorance and thus halt the killing |