Lies, damned lies...

Sir,
In answer to Mr Millward (Motor Sport, November 1988): yes my driving experience in England is limited, although I have trailered vintage cars as far there as here, but pehaps the same is true of his experience with USA data. I agree that safety is of great importance, but we can still be realistic about speed limits. It would be refreshing if Mr Millward did not continue to quote from one side.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is well known for its advocacy of “safety” cars as opposed to safe cars, of speed limits, and of general support of Naderite groups and opposition to NHFSA under the present administration.

A new study by Ohio State University, prepared at the request of the Ohio Highway Patrol contradicts statements of Ohio safety director Denihan and states: “There is no difference in the number of fatal and severe injuries (or) in the number of accidents-per-mile driven that can be attributed to the change in speed-limit.”

The California Highway Patrol’s recently-completed study said that there had been no increase in either accidents or fatalities due to the speed change. Enough! It may have been Will Rogers who said “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”

Henry Wessells, Paoli, Pennsylvania, USA