hlh@linus.UUCP (Henry L. Hall) (01/23/84)
As I recall, when the Interstate highway system was first started, the basic intent was to create a system of highways to link the the country. These were to be limited in access (not alot of entrances or exits) and provide a safe means of travel at the THEN current speed limits (60-65 mph) for the THEN current automobiles on the road. Cars, nowadays, are unquestionably safer than those in the mid 50's and generally more economical besides (oops, remember the model from Nash (aka Rambler/AMC) that got 45 mpg in the late 1940's, it didn't sell very well as gasoline was under $ .20/gal. and the car was not very well appointed, nor was it very expensive). We have been asked to ignore the progress of technology and travel at a speed that has questionable economic value. As was mentioned before, "the people", that great amorphous mass, does not directly make laws, the Congress does. However, after driving in Maryland in a car with the cruise control set to 65 mph (an Oldsmobile 98 rented from Avis, just seeing how the "other half lives" ;-) ) I was never stopped by the 10-12 police cars that I passed on the road between D.C and Baltimore. This law and its enforcement, or lack thereof, seems to give too much leeway to the individual traffic officer as to whether to issue a citation. If the 55 mph. speed limit is not going to be enforced/obeyed strictly, then it seems that it should be abolished. Just because a law is on the books, does not make it a good law. In Italy recently, a psuedo-competent female political figure was asked to resign because she did not meet the law decreeing that all political figures had to be at least 5'1" in stature to hold a political office. Hmmmmmmm. Henry L. Hall {allegra, cbosgd, decvax, ihnp4} !linus!hlh {UUCP} linus!hlh@mitre-bedford {MIL}