Before raising Manatee speeds, know that cars become weapons

I was reading Claire Aronson's Oct. 4 article "Residents express concerns about speed limit changes" on Page 1A of the Bradenton Herald.

It is definitely a factor when it comes to driving. Consider that cars, operated by people, cause almost 40,000 deaths and another 2,000,000 injuries every year in the United States. Cars are 2,500 pounds (a small car) and adding speed to something that big and heavy only increases the chances for deaths and injuries.

Cars are necessary and are generally occupied by loved ones: children, brothers, sisters, parents, friends, pets, etc. These are the ones who are at risk if the driver of the vehicle is speeding (has control of the gas pedal). Science or physics say the heavier the object multiplied by the speed of an object can and does cause a violent crash (according to IIHS NHTSA numbers).

After all, a 1/2 ounce bullet thrown at a person will not produce the same results as a 2,500-pound object coming at that person at any speed. Putting that bullet and making it go fast (adding speed) will have a different result, maybe even deadly (depending on where it hits) at minimum, it will cause an injury. When you increase the speed of something that weighs 2,500 pound, that spells disaster. I'm sure the makers of such vehicles know this and still produce cars that can travel at those speeds. Why? Money, I guess. Going from zero to 60 in so many seconds is good for a race track... but definitely not the streets!

Francis O'Connor

Bradenton

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Before raising Manatee speeds, know that cars become weapons ."