90 MPH Cash Cow in NV

Nevada independent gubernatorial candidate, DiSimone, has proposed an interesting new traffic law which he proposes will generate up to $4 million per day for the state. He suggests the state sell 24 hour passes which allow the purchaser to drive up to 90 mph on select roads.

I applaud DiSimone for thinking outside the box and being somewhat entrepreneurial; however, his proposal is flawed. State troopers claim that their would be an increase in accidents, particularly in remote areas. While I agree that there may be an increase in accidents, I do not believe they will occur in remote areas. People driving on remote highways likely are already driving 90 mph because it is remote...meaning that cops likely don't patrol there as much. Accidents may rise, but not for the reasons most think. Variance in speed, not speed itself, leads to more accidents (see Graves, Lee and Sexton--gated, sorry). DiSimone's plan increases the variance in speed and will therefore increase the frequency of accidents on non-remote highways in particular.

HT: Frank Stephenson at Division of Labour