How Safe Is Your State To Drive In?
Published: January 25th, 2011
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With a new year, the do-gooders at Advocates For Highway and Auto Safety have produced a new rating of states performance in adopting the safety laws they espouse, including open-container laws, mandatory motorcycle helmets, ramped-up privileges for teen drivers and booster seat standards. If you buy into the idea that more laws equals more safety, this iconographic is all you need to determine how “safe” your state is. If, on the other hand, you believe that some of AFHAS’s recommended laws are better than others, you’ll want to go through their complete report [in PDF here] to see whether your state’s laws measure up to your expectations. Sorry, but Democracy still isn’t a spectator sport.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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Arizona is looking better and better all the time to me.
+++ One more point is that insurance costs more in no-helmet-law states. That's my standard rebuttal to the "you're interfering with my freedom" argument. When non-helmet-wearing riders can figure out how to compensate me for my increased costs (as another AGATT rider), I'll be happy to support them.
Completely typical (as in wrong) government thinking, "More laws=safer/fewer laws= less safe" There are buffoons driving everywhere and intrusive government regulation won't change that fact one iota. As long as drivers treat their car like an office/game room/cafeteria/library and auto manufacturers are only too happy to comply with that desire, stupid, distracted driving will occur. I still contend that it is too easy to get a driver's license and there are just too many people that are too stupid to drive intelligently (entitlement?).
I notice Massachusetts is not among the green, high law states. We are, however, the safest, with the lowest death rate (probably per vmt), and fewer injuries. But the reason is that we're the third most densely populated states, with few fast rural two laners, and so people can't get going fast enough to hurt themselves.