The Hazards of Ruling by Exception

<![CDATA[In 1974, President Richard Nixon enacted a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour (mph) on all of the nation's interstate highways. What started as a fuel conservation measure in response to the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 became over time a safety measure as well. In fact, America's traffic fatality rate fell from 4.28 (per million miles traveled) in 1972 down to 2.73 in 1983. In other words, it was an indisputable fact that a reduction in the speed limit saved lives. ]]>