Speed Limits

Speed Limits

Jim was leaving work late, and he knew that his wife was at home waiting on him. She had prepared a nice meal for their anniversary and was sitting on the couch all alone. As Jim pulled out of the plant and onto newly paved two-lane highway, he noticed a large white sign with the words “speed limit” and the number “50.” It was a thirty minute drive home, and he could easily make up the time he lost at work if he could just drive as fast as he wanted. For the next half hour, however, Jim drove fifty miles per hour, all the while, contemplating why we have speed limits. Why do we have speed limits? What is the point in setting a limit on how fast you can drive your vehicle? Shouldn’t you be able to set your own personal speed limit? Who really has a say in what the speed limit is set at? Does any good come from having a speed limit, or is it just set up as a means for the government to make money? These questions and more just like them have been an important topic of discussion for many years. In 1995, the national speed limit was dropped, and states were allowed to set their own speed limits. Many of the states raised the limits. California promptly rose to 65 mph, and Texas went even as high as 70 mph. Some states, however, kept the limit the same. The reason this topic has so much significance is that it affects every driver on America’s roadways. As well as affecting the way we drive, speed limits affect us in other ways. Some smaller towns rely on speed limits as a source of income. This income results from issuing citations to speeders. If drivers fail to yield to the speed limits, they may face consequences. A citation for speeding is considered a minor misdemeanor and requires the payment of a stated amount ...

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...he speed limit change” (Griffin). Even worse than just an increase in crash rates, is the result of speed in a crash. “The higher the traveling speed, the greater the risk of serious injury or death in a crash” (Speed).

Speeding is an issue of personal ethics. We are commanded to obey the laws that are made by the people God has placed in power on earth as long as those laws don’t contradict what He has first commanded in the Bible. If we choose to speed, we are not only being unethical, we are disobeying God. So, if you are unsure about whether to vote for or against raising the speed limits, make a wise decision. Choose to keep the limits where they are. There is no reason that we need to travel any faster than we already do. The more reasonable answer is to stick with the speed limits we currently have, and focus our attention on making people better drivers.