
How will lowering speed limits nationwide be beneficial to the United States? My goal is to answer this question 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 because this issue is not regularly discussed. This question affects me because I am a citizen of the United States, and in most cases, things that benefit this country, benefit me. This question does not affect my values in any way because I do not have any particularly strong feelings about speed limits. My personal experience regarding this topic comes from my time as a licensed driver, a passenger, and a pedestrian. I have been in a number of situations 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, An Old Refrain: Slow Down, is that Americans tend to overlook the easiest way of being efficient with their automobiles. Drivers can conserve fuel by simply slowing down. People of the United States had this strategy forced upon them in 1973 during the Arab Oil Embargo. The crisis led to the creation of a nationwide 55 mile per hour speed limit. The main values and interests that are at stake for this article include having to sacrifice our time by getting 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. Various organizations have recognized and awarded his writing throughout his career. Selingo also does not seem to have any connection to any environmental group. Because of this, the article is not biased.

The next article that I found during my research comes from a Dutch environmental organization, CE Delft. The article Why Slower is Better claims that lowering 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 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 only able to find information on them in Dutch. I also believe that a fair bit of bias exists 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 alludes to the poor judgement of government officials in regard to the safety of their people. Most of the new speed limits discussed were only 5 miles per hour higher than they were previously. This change, while minimal, is a 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 speed was one of the main factors in about 30% of fatal accidents in 2011. The value of life and the interest of all of the people on the roads in America are at stake in this article. Trustworthy veteran Washington correspondent Elaine S. Povich wrote this article, which makes it credible. She presents no bias whatsoever in her writing.

My research question is most definitely arguable. Many people are unwilling to sacrifice time, one of the most scarce resources, for the sake of the environment or the safety of others. A notable agreement that I found between the sources is that lowering the speed limit leads to lower emissions. The debate over speed limits involves two groups of people. Government officials oppose the idea of lower speed limits, while people who are environmentally conscious support it. I believe that we all most join together and accept lower speed limits to save our precious environment. I do not believe I need to revise my research question. The only thing that I must do is look into the economical effect of lower speed limits in America.

