To the book of absurd statements from government, including the Reagan-era pronouncements that "trees kill" and ketchup is a vegetable, add this one from Parris Glendening: "You are causing a traffic obstacle driving 55 [mph]."
Come again? Is this the governor-elect speaking, or Bubba Glendening? All those motorists driving 55 are just impeding the progress of their neighbors trying to get by at 75? What's next? Arresting folks caught in drug war shootouts for getting in the way of the bullets?
If Mr. Glendening wanted to stake out ground as a "new Democrat," this hot-button issue surely will help him do that, since some drivers view the 55 mph speed limit as one more "big brother" infringement on their God-given right to burn rubber.
Gov. William Donald Schaefer had stuck to the position of other states in the northeast, maintaining the 55 mph limit for safety and cost reasons. Legislative attempts have been tried for years to raise the limit on rural portions of Maryland interstates -- although several of the roads cited in past discussions fall within the metropolitan area and hardly qualify as rural. But those bills died minus the governor's support -- and for good reason.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculated that in just the first three years after Congress permitted states to sanction 65 mph on interstates, 1,400 fatalities were attributable to the higher speeds. A 65 mph speed limit for cars and trucks also wastes fuel and increases pollution, at a time when Maryland is struggling with ways to meet cleaner air standards.
Proponents of the higher speed limit contend drivers sense that the highways were designed to handle greater speeds and go 65 mph anyway. However, our experience in other states suggests that given the nod to drive at 65, many people will drive 75 mph. Perhaps Mr. Glendening is simply accustomed to raceway driving, since the Capital Beltway through his county, Prince George's, typically records the highest speeds in Maryland.
One can find research on either side of the argument, but most would agree that drivers as a group seem ever more distracted -- using car phones and fax machines, eating breakfast in their laps, getting dressed en route to work. The more conservative speed limit sends a message: You are in control of two tons of steel. Handle with care.
Supporters of new legislation to raise the speed limit will no doubt be encouraged by Mr. Glendening's sympathetic comments. He should rethink his stand, however, on the grounds of preserving lives, energy and air quality. Maryland's experience with the 55 mph limit has been fine. Let the new governor fix what's broken first.