"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
02/25/2014 at 16:41 • Filed to: None
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"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
02/25/2014 at 16:41 • Filed to: None | 1
| 12 |
I just read an article in a rather respectable German news outlet ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) on the numbers of people who were killed by car accidents on German roads last year. And the numbers are alarming! To us people who like to take advantage of the few unlimited stretches of Autobahn left from time to time at least.
The total number of deaths overall was the lowest since the 50s. Given that traffic has increased somewhat like tenfold since then, this is a good thing. At 3340 deaths (every one is still one too many) the number is 260 or 7.2 % lower than in 2012. Which is a good thing, and can be attributed to safer cars and safer roads.
The big BUT here is that on Autobahns alone, they were up by 8.1 % (cities 10 % down, B-roads a whopping 12% down).
It doesn't take a magic 8 ball to see what politicians are going to do with this. Right now, the trend is to spend money on infrastructure a.k.a variable speed limits, but a blanket 130 kph limit might be on the table (again) soon.
For the time being, we are probably safe. Even when the Green Party won in Baden-Württemberg, which was the first time they went to rule a whole German state, they didn't dare/bother to do anything to the speed limit, knowing that this might cost them re-election.
It's just that the media are working to make public opinion slowly swing the other way. Proponents of keeping the few unlimited parts have been compared to the NRA, which might sound harmless to an American, but in Europe this goes along the lines of "Don't even talk to them! They are childish, only want to keep their toys, and won't be receptive to reason."
Sadly, there seems to be no way of breaking down the numbers to see where these accidents happened, and if high speeds really were to blame. I for one will don my flamesuit and keep voicing the opinion that responsible people should still be able to take their well maintained car on an empty stretch of road, on a day with beautiful weather, and see what it was really made of. There just might be fewer and fewer of us.
Brian, The Life of
> Klaus Schmoll
02/25/2014 at 16:45 |
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Or, maybe, because the Autobahn has been slowly but surely restricted over the years and folks have less and less OPPOrtunity to drive flat-out, they no longer have the practice they once did and the experience is no longer routine?
Maybe?
Goshen, formerly Darkcode
> Klaus Schmoll
02/25/2014 at 16:46 |
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The NRA is childish, only wants to keep their toys, and won't be receptive to reason.
Gamecat235
> Klaus Schmoll
02/25/2014 at 16:49 |
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It seems to me that speed inherently makes a crash more dangerous and more difficult to survive all of the variables which are encountered. In most circumstances, I would assume that an otherwise identical crash which occurs at a greater speed than one at a lower speed has more potential for death or more significant injuries to all parties involved.
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Klaus Schmoll
> Gamecat235
02/25/2014 at 17:05 |
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That's absolutely true! But we have been living in a bubble where our Autobahns weren't more dangerous than those of comparative European states with a blanket limit.
Would such a drastic measure safe a few lives per year? I think so. But is it worth limiting my freedom? See, this is where I am facing an uphill battle. To be fair, there are no real arguments on my side apart from "I want my fun!"
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Gamecat235
> Klaus Schmoll
02/25/2014 at 17:12 |
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Oh, I agree, I'm just making sure that the obvious is actually stated. =)
Boss2452stolemylunchmoney
> Klaus Schmoll
02/25/2014 at 19:32 |
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I may be one of the few sane people left in the world who thinks cars are every bit as dangerous as firearms. Now don't flame on me too much, I happen to be a huge fan of both.
Axial
> Goshen, formerly Darkcode
02/26/2014 at 07:36 |
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While that's not untrue, you must also consider that most of the "reason" put forth by their opposition has also been both misinformed and aimed at the wrong targets.
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Axial
> Boss2452stolemylunchmoney
02/26/2014 at 07:37 |
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I happen to agree, with the current restrictions on both. However, the danger factor ramps up faster with firearms than with cars as the restrictions are removed because one is smaller, cheaper, and easier to use impulsively.
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Boss2452stolemylunchmoney
> Axial
02/26/2014 at 09:45 |
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I like to fall back on the timeless, people kill people. Their weapons of choice are not always the same. As our societies develop culturally, the crime rate continues to fall and the death rates continue to shift from malicious to negligent. I personally think it's sad that more people die annually from completely incidental and avoidable causes than from murder. Not that I think murder is better, but because I think that because people are too often hypocritical in the way they elevate the value of human life in terms of aggravated violence but demean the value of human life by their own negligence when conducting themselves among society.
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Goshen, formerly Darkcode
> Axial
02/26/2014 at 13:53 |
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Yes, the gun rights dispute in the US is basically a brawl between penguins and zebras. I was being a smartass.
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Axial
> Goshen, formerly Darkcode
02/26/2014 at 14:29 |
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I just wanted to get that out there and your reply made the perfect vehicle (ha!) for doing so. One can never be too careful on Gawker sites.
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Axial
> Boss2452stolemylunchmoney
02/26/2014 at 14:30 |
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I can drink to that. All of it.