To the Editor:
Based on a recent comment about speed limits it is not speed that is necessarily the problem. Slower reaction time for older drivers, poor eyesight, inattentive driving (texting etc) all contribute to accidents more than speed. Not everyone in The Villages is impaired with those I mentioned above. Research has shown that higher traveling speeds are not necessarily associated with an increased risk of being involved in a crash. When drivers travel at the same speed in the same direction even at high speeds, such as interstates, they are not passing one another and cannot collide as long as they maintain the same traveling speed. Herein lies a problem in the villages due to the older population and those who are somewhat impaired or those feeling justified in traveling slower often under the speed limit. I submit it is not the speed limits that are the problem. It is human behavior. It is best to go with the flow of traffic, if it is above the limit it is safer to go with it. If it is below the limit it is safer to go with it (although many would not).
Jeff Atwood
Village of Fernandina
