Different speeds pose real threat

July 22, 2008

After reading Michael Dresser's column "Fast talk from a highway expert" (July 21) in which he cites the thoughts of Tom Hicks, State Highway Administration chief safety engineer, on speed limits, I thought: How refreshing to hear someone talk sense.

What I found upsetting is the response from SHA spokesman Dave Buck, who states, "He was speaking from an engineering perspective, not a policy perspective."

I have some questions for Mr. Buck: Why is policy not determined by sound engineering data? And what is current policy based on if not such objective data?

Those who have spent any part of their lives driving the highways know intuitively that the greatest speed danger is from those who do not match the general speed of other cars on the road.

Whether they drive faster or slower than the other cars, the danger is much the same.

And that is true regardless of the posted speed limits.

Alfred W. Gillette

Baltimore

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