How will lowering speed limits nationwide be beneficial to the United States? This is the question that I am going to be answering through my research. I will be analyzing the effect that such an action would have on the economy, environment, and personal safety of United States citizens. I am interested in this topic mainly because it is an issue that not many individuals discuss regularly. This question affects me because I am a citizen of the United States, and in most cases, things that benefit this country, benefit me. However, this question does not affect my values in any way because speed limits are not something that I have any strong feelings about. My personal experience regarding this topic comes from my experience as a licensed driver, a passenger, and a pedestrian. I have been in a number of situation in which a driver had been ignoring the speed limit, causing them to nearly strike me with their vehicle. Being a licensed driver, and citizen of this country is also what makes me qualified to write about this topic. I have spent enough time behind the wheel, in the passenger seat, and on the street to understand the impact that speed limits have on our lives.

The central claim of my first source, the article An Old Refrain: Slow Down, is that Americans tend to overlook the easiest way of being efficient in regards to their automobiles. By simply slowing down, drivers can conserve fuel. This strategy was forced upon the nation in the 1973 during the Arab Oil Embargo by creating a nationwide speed limit of 55 miles per hour. The main values and interest that are at stake for this article include having to sacrifice our time to get from one point to another at a slower rate and shifting to a more conservative attitude in regard to our fuel consumption. The author of this article, Jeffrey J. Selingo is a very credible source. He has been recognized and award as a author and as a columnist. Selingo also does not see to have any connection to any environmental group, which would lead to him creating a biased article.

The next article that I found during my research comes from a Dutch environmental organization, CE Delft. The claim of the article Why Slower is Better, is that reducing the speed limit significantly reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into our atmosphere. Their studies suggest that reducing speed from 62 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour will reduce carbon emissions by 30%. The major values and interests at stake here are similar to those present in the first article, An Old Refrain: Slow Down. People will have to be willing to sacrifice their time and deal with longer transportation times in order to help protect our environment. I am not sure about the credibility of the authors because I was unable to find information on them in English, because they are both Dutch. I also believe that there is a fair bit of bias in this article because CE Delft is an organization whose purpose is to help improve the environment.

Another article that I came across during my research was Speed Limits Going Up in Many States by Elaine S. Povich. The claim of this article also alludes to the poor judgement of government officials in regard to the safety of their people. While most of the increases have only been around 5 miles per hour, it is still as shift in the wrong direction. The most eye-opening fact I took away from this article came from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Their data states that in about 30% of fatal accidents in 2011, one of the main factors was the speed of the vehicles. The value of life, and the interest of all of the people on the roads in America are at stake in this article. This article is credible due to that fact that it can be found on USA Today's website, and because the author Elaine S. Povich, is a veteran Washington correspondent, so she is trustworthy. There is no bias plainly apparent in this article either.

My research question is definitely arguable because there are many people who are unwilling to sacrifice time, one of our most scarce resources, for the sake of the environment or the safety of others. A notable agreement that I have found between the sources is that lowering the speed limit leads to lower emissions.When it comes to disagreements, it is apparent that some individuals, mainly those involved with the government, are opposed to lower speed limits, while those in the environmental sector are all for it. I believe that we all most join together and accept lower speed limits to save our precious environment. I don't believe I need to revise my research question. I only need to look more into the economical effect of lower speed limits.

