Guest Editorial: Makes No Sense to Speed - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Guest Editorial: Makes No Sense to Speed

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  • Editorials

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    •   

We all need  information to help us make decisions , and we often use that data in a risk / benefit analysis of the situation.

There's one risky decision many of us make far too often; speeding.  And even though we may think the benefits outweigh the risk, the information would suggest otherwise.

If you speed so you can get there quicker, consider this.  On a 10 mile interstate commute each additional mile per hour you drive only gets you there 7 seconds sooner.   Go 10 miles over the limit and you only gain one minute.  And that speeding ticket in Alabama could cost you $130 or more. Do the math.  Do you make $7,800 per hour?

Since this is spring break week, consider a 170 mile trip to the beach.  Each extra mile per hour gains you a mere 2 minutes on the entire trip.  10 miles over the limit and you only get 18 extra minutes on the beach.  And for teenagers who make minimum wage, that ticket will cost you 18 hours of pay at your job.

There's also the cost of gasoline.  Speeding is inefficient.   According to the U.S. Department of Energy each 5 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas.

Of course all this really begs the question of safety.  Speeding is a factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, killing an average of 1,000 Americans every month.

There are no rational reasons to speed.  Think it through.  The risk always outweighs the benefits.  Just don't speed.