What about outlawing dangerous cars?

Question

The biggest killer in the US is an automobile being driven too fast or too recklessly.....The maximum speed limit on interstates is 80 MPH.....so...it seems to be that building a car that will go over 85 MPH is irresponsible and dangerous. What about passing a law outlawing cars that go over 85 MPH? There is no legitimate use for cars that do and evidence that driving over the speed limit is a major killer.

New cars could be fitted with a governor to limit speed...that is done with rental trucks now....and older cars that were designed to go over 85 dollars could be purchased back by the government and crushed. There is a precident for this..gun buy backs.....today in St Louis the city government bought back hundreds of guns. no questions asked....many were stolen....but..turn it in and get your fifty bucks....let's do the same thing with corvettes and mustangs....make them illegal and buy them back for five hundred bucks and crush them. What ya say?

Answer 1

Better,  when someone driving that recklessly on public roads is caught,   confiscate the car and revoke their license at the same time.

I also advocate automatic confiscation of any car driven by an unlicensed driver,  whether suspended or revoked,  or not ever licensed.    This would apply unless the vehicle owner reported it stolen and pursued prosecution of the driver.

Unless states get serious about safety,  stupid people will continue to drive.     Fast cars belong on the track.

Answer 2

Maybe we should outlaw swimming pools because people drown in them. While we're at it, let's ban ropes, belts, and any other thin material w/ good tensile strength. That way, people can't hang themselves. Oooh... then we can outlaw people going outside, so that no one will ever get sunburns and skin cancer. Next, we'll ban stoves and ovens because those cause burns and fires. Man, I'm on a roll toward a MUCH safer society!!!

Fact is, like others have said, accidents are not a result of cars being CAPABLE of 85mph+, it's the fact that people drive them improperly. In fact, what percentage of traffic fatalities could be avoided simply by limiting a car's speed to 85mph? Does limiting a car's top speed keep people from blowing through red lights @ 45mph? Does it keep people from driving drunk?

Take a look at the statistics for the Autobahn in Germany. Some portions have no speed limit whatsoever. Does this result in an inordinate amount of traffic fatalities? Nope... because the speed itself is not the problem. It is the reckless attitude taken by drivers at ANY speed that results in traffic accidents and fatalities.

Many cars have governors as it is, albeit set at ~120-150mph, instead of 85. However, these governors are very simple to defeat, such as by a simple retune of the car's computer. Just like gun control, the people who WANT to break the law, are going to do it whether it's "illegal" or not.

The solution is not limiting the abilities of the cars. The solution is people having respect for the other people around them, and for the dangers of driving a vehicle improperly.

Answer 3

no, i like to go fast and the cars you are speaking of cost many thousands... no way someone is going to be willing to give it up. and besides there would be huge lawsuits

Answer 4

I agree with you 100% and in California I read that street racers that are caught speeding are fined heavily and then their vehicles are crushed right in front of them and this should be done all over.

Answer 5

No, I would take the dangerous and irresponsible drivers off the road and crush them.  The cars are not dangerous.  Just because a car will go 100 MPH doesn't mean it has to go 100 MPH, and indeed, never does by itself.  It is a human decision to drive like a maniac.

I have no problem with the laws in Ontario and California that allow the crushing of cars used in street racing.  Again, none of the cars raced by themselves, it was people that ran them so fast.

Answer 6

Cars aren't dangerous--people are.

Answer 7

and what happens when it is your car someone wants for 500 bucks, and I don't like the idea that you think it is a good use of my tax dollars. why not ticket the offending driver and leave everyone else alone. I see st louis is listed as one of two most dangerous citys to live in so tell me again how well the gun by back is working.

Answer 8

There are no dangerous cars, only dangerous drivers.