Car Photo of the Day: Weekend Stumper.

This weekend’s CPotD stumper is a “guest photo” taken by a reader, so I’ll have to have him run the guessing game in the comments. When I first saw it I thought it was one of those gawdawful replicars from the 70s, but looking closer I could see that it is a genuine period chassis.

Guess away and Paul (aka “Vroomie”) will moderate the discussion.

Ronald Reagan on the Detroit Bailout.

A voice haunts Washington from the grave:

I love the imagery. I’ve always said that in the Bush II Era that we have become the Soviet Union:

* Toppling regimes and installing puppets? Check
* Suspension of Due Process & Habeas Corpus? Check.
* Surveillance of our own citizens? Check.
* Restrictions on Travel? (almost!)
* Gulags in hostile environments? Check.
* Party control of the media? Check Fox News!
* Rigged Elections? Check!
* Government control of the means of production? Coming soon!

And of course the clearest sign of all:

* Sending steroid-pumped Professional Athletes to the Olympics? CHECK!

Good thing Ronnie’s Alzheimer’s kept him happily ignorant in his declining
years, but I’m sure he started spinning once in the ground.

Speed in fact, does not kill.

No humans were killed or injured while making this photograph, while travelling in excess of the posted speed limit.

How often do you hear that old saw “speed kills” or “speed is the leading cause of car crashes” etc? The nannies all want us to slow down, “for our own safety.” As an example: about a year ago my home state of Washington lowered the speed limit on a long, straight section of I-5 I drive almost every day, from 70 down to 60 MPH. They did this in response to several horrific incidents where drivers crossed the median and went head-on into the opposite lanes. Every time one of these accidents happened there would be a State Patrol spokesperson on TV, or in the paper claiming that speed was the cause. So they added more speed patrols, handed out more speeding tickets, and eventually lowered the limit.

I never bought the idea that speed had ANYTHING to do with any of these accidents. Inattentive drivers was likely the cause in my mind. Inattentive, distracted, and poorly trained drivers. Talking on telephones. Watching DVDs(!) Talking on telephones. Spilling coffee. Talking on telephones. Did I mention talking on telephones? The State Patrolmen never did. All they ever talk about is speed.

Well, The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a comprehensive study, the first one in almost 30 years, seeking to understand the ACTUAL causes of car accidents. Guess what came out on top? Speeding? Nope. 41.3% of accidents are caused by driver errors which have nothing to do with speed. Not seeing hazards (20.9%), being distracted by something inside the car (10.6%), being distracted by something outside the car (3.7%), and just plain old inattention (3.6%), Unknown error being the remaining 2.5%)

So where did the KILLER SPEED end up?

Single digits: 8.4% were “too fast for conditions” which means that some percentage of those were UNDER the posted speed limit. Another 4.9% were “too fast for curve” which means that some percentage of those were UNDER the posted speed limit. By the way, the combination of falling asleep at the wheel and having a heart attack while driving added up to 5.5% so Speed seems pretty benign and remote compared to yakking on your cell phone, or just plain old not paying attention!

But of course lack of attention ads NO REVENUE to state and local coffers through fines.

At no point does this study heap any serious blame on speed, and speed alone. So next time some moron tells you that driving fast is dangerous, ask them to prove it.

You can read the whole study here.