Originally Posted by wstar

While I'm all for higher limits (and I'm gonna go over whatever limits there are), there is a certain logic to the correlation between speed and fatality rate per accident.

Most impacts don't happen at full speed, you usually get a little braking in at the "oh ****" moment. Braking distance (and reaction distance) to reach a certain target speed goes up exponentially with increases in initial cruising speed. That's how even a small difference in top-end cruising speed results in a more dramatic difference in the slower impact speed, which makes a large difference in accident lethality.

That being said though, I don't think it should be focused on. The speed limit is a relatively minor factor in the end. The big factors in highway fatality rates, IMHO, are all related to human error and car negligence. Better driver training and more police action to get unmaintained clearly-unsafe vehicles off the highway would be a better use of resources than worrying about speed limits. Stop inspecting every year for exhaust fumes and start inspecting every 6 months for brake/tire maintenance, that'd be a great start.