Benefits of Deregulating Transportation

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Deregulating transportation would have several benefits to American motorists and pedestrians. By deregulation of transportation I mean having very limited traffic laws. This entails removing most traffic signs, specifically those that inform drivers of the laws. In addition, all traffic control devices should be removed, this includes: traffic signals, speed bumps, rumble strips and other traffic control features. Even though opponents say this would cause complete anarchy on the road, traffic laws and control devices should be removed. Eradicating laws leads to safer driving habits and removing control devices and excessive signage increases the attention of drivers.
The elimination of traffic regulations causes drivers to think for themselves and pay attention to the road rather than the laws of the road. Without set speed limits, motorists drive at a speed they feel comfortable and in control of. For example, large stretches’ of the Autobahn do not have a speed limit. While there are many people who drive at speeds in excess of one hundred and fifty miles per hour (Driving 150mph on the Autobahn, YouTube), but the average speed of the majority of vehicles is eighty miles per hour. This is merely ten miles per hour faster than the speed limits on most comparable United States highways. Even though there is no set speed limit on large portions of the Autobahn, fatalities are much lower than that of rural highways in the United States, despite having no speed limit. Another study concerning speed limits involved measuring the speed of vehicles in a given area. Next the posted speed limits were either raised or lowered the speed limit. After the speed limit was altered vehicle speed was measured again. The study found, regardl...

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... fatal car accidents and we would be rid of speeding tickets and other costs accrued from moving violations. There are many examples of the benefits of deregulating traffic throughout the world, but America is slow to change. The unnecessary laws of the road are much too lucrative for the government to consider abolishing them.

Works Cited
"Driving 150mph on the Autobahn." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
DW Staff. "European Towns Remove Traffic Signs to Make Streets Safer | Europe | DW.DE | 27.08.2006." DW.DE. N.p., 27 Aug. 2006. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Parker, M. R., Jr. EFFECTS OF RAISING AND LOWERING SPEED LIMITS ON SELECTED ROADWAY SECTIONS. Rep. no. FHWA-RD-97-084. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The Effects of Raising and Lowering the Speed Limit | NMA. Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D Federal Highway Administration, Jan. 1997. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

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