Introduction
Almost everyone knows someone who has had to address a speeding ticket. Perhaps the nauseated driver begrudgingly paid the fine, took the battle to court, or sauntered to a traffic school. However, the discomfort of addressing a speeding ticket instigates a heated debate about the relevance of speed limits. Proponents maintain that the restrictions enhance road safety, while opponents argue that they perpetuate racially biased policing, encouraging mass incarceration of people of color for minor crimes. Indeed, the enforcement of traffic regulations is imperfect, but speed limits remain integral to improving road safety.
Main body
A significant advantage of speed limits is that they improve road safety. Speeding could seem a quick way to reach one’s destination, but it could also mean the fastest means to a grisly accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2018 data, more than a quarter of traffic fatalities are registered in crashes with at least one speeding driver. In addition, speeding renders it quite challenging to stop the vehicle abruptly, especially when factors beyond the motorist’s control demand. For example, a driver speeding on the road in Mount Rushmore State, South Dakota, could have little time to stop when a wild animal darts out in front of the car, ultimately causing an accident. Indeed, speed limits help make the roads safe for motorists, pedestrians, and animals.
Besides the personal safety of all road users, speed limits promote the vehicle’s wellbeing while conserving the environment. Although most modern cars are designed to withstand the severe effects of fast driving, frequently stretching the car’s limits can adversely affect it. Speeding exerts unnecessary stress on the automobile’s engine and transmission, hastening the wear and tear process. For example, a driver must apply more pressure on the brakes to slow or bring a fast-moving vehicle to a halt, thereby damaging them. Meanwhile, the gas burnt while accelerating causes emissions that contribute to environmental degradation. Thus, speed limits enhance environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gases emitted from healthy moving cars.
A contrary opinion holds that the implementation of speed regulations causes more harm than good by fueling the over-criminalization of petty offenses and mass incarceration. Speed limits offer a rich avenue for the police to target and sweep droves of people through the criminal justice system. For the people of color who are often targeted with systemized prejudice in implementing the deluge of traffic rules, the roads can be quite unsafe. For example, the police find it relatively easy to pull over black motorists and issue a ticket based solely on their words, not objective evidence, compared to white drivers. In other words, law enforcers use speeding limits to exacerbate the racial disparities in the criminal justice system by over-criminalizing and incarcerating people en masse for low-level offenses. Indeed, police misconduct is a primary concern in the implementation of traffic rules. However, this policing issue does not eliminate the fact that speed limits enhance road safety.
Conclusion
In conclusion, speed limits are not an elixir to all road problems, but they certainly promote the safety of all road users. As the discussion illustrates, supporters of the arbitrary restrictions believe that they minimize the chances of causing or being involved in an accident, whereas antagonists view them as an impediment to freedom and equality. Irrefutably, vehicles can be bought or repaired, but the lives of those lost in car crashes remain impossible to restore. Thus, eliminating speed limits is not the answer to reckless driving and the resulting damage to lives and infrastructure. Instead, policymakers should focus on ensuring that speed limits and penalties for violating them remain reasonable.