Some months ago, I read a similar article concerning the higher incidence of doctors speeding. I commented on that article with the following analysis. I would argue that the higher educated person tends to be focused,confident and driven. The same drive that allowed them to succeed in school transfers to other portions of their lives. That includes driving. In my opinion, the question is not whether they speed, but more importantly whether they have more accidents. Their ability to analyze and anticipate may, if fact, reduce their accident rate. Speed makes an accident more serious, but despite the hand wringing of a number of people, does not necessarily cause accidents. I would simply cite the German autobahn. That environment, however, is populated with a well disciplined demographic that plays by the rules. U.S. drivers generally do know how to drive at speed or how to handle the attendant responsibilities of high speed driving. Saying that higher educated/income people speed does not answer the fundamental question of whether they have or cause more accidents.
As a concerned citizen who is leading a fight to draw attention to the dangers of residential speeding, this survey came as no surprise. These are the same people who live in my neighborhood and routinely drive 35-40mph in a 25 mph zone, while talking on their cell phone with their kids and their friends’ kids in the car. I only wish they understood that if they run over a child or other pedestrian, that all the money and education in the world isnt’ going to make a difference as they struggle to deal with the consequences. Those accidents usually end two lives, the one who dies and the one is left behind.
Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is hit in this country. Every 2 hours a pedestrian is killed. Victims are 5 times more likely to die if struck at 30 mph than if they are hit at 25mph.
It’s time that we all took responsibility to make safe neighborhood driving a priority!
Statistically and specifically, medical doctors, of all occupations — followed by lawyers — have the highest frequency of automobile accidents. Of course, this only shows correlation not causation as the good doctor correctly points out. Statistical analysis or “hand wringing” as the doctor would posit, never provides the cause. When innocents are crippled or killed by “responsible” high speed drivers, i am sure their mothers care about the subtle, albeit philosophically important differences between correlation and causation.
Some months ago, I read a similar article concerning the higher incidence of doctors speeding. I commented on that article with the following analysis. I would argue that the higher educated person tends to be focused,confident and driven. The same drive that allowed them to succeed in school transfers to other portions of their lives. That includes driving. In my opinion, the question is not whether they speed, but more importantly whether they have more accidents. Their ability to analyze and anticipate may, if fact, reduce their accident rate. Speed makes an accident more serious, but despite the hand wringing of a number of people, does not necessarily cause accidents. I would simply cite the German autobahn. That environment, however, is populated with a well disciplined demographic that plays by the rules. U.S. drivers generally do know how to drive at speed or how to handle the attendant responsibilities of high speed driving. Saying that higher educated/income people speed does not answer the fundamental question of whether they have or cause more accidents.
As a concerned citizen who is leading a fight to draw attention to the dangers of residential speeding, this survey came as no surprise. These are the same people who live in my neighborhood and routinely drive 35-40mph in a 25 mph zone, while talking on their cell phone with their kids and their friends’ kids in the car. I only wish they understood that if they run over a child or other pedestrian, that all the money and education in the world isnt’ going to make a difference as they struggle to deal with the consequences. Those accidents usually end two lives, the one who dies and the one is left behind.
Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is hit in this country. Every 2 hours a pedestrian is killed. Victims are 5 times more likely to die if struck at 30 mph than if they are hit at 25mph.
It’s time that we all took responsibility to make safe neighborhood driving a priority!
I wonder if the higher educated and incomed respondents to this survey were just more honest?
Perhaps drivers with higher incomes can afford better cars – cars with more horsepower and other performance features which makes it easier to speed.
Statistically and specifically, medical doctors, of all occupations — followed by lawyers — have the highest frequency of automobile accidents. Of course, this only shows correlation not causation as the good doctor correctly points out. Statistical analysis or “hand wringing” as the doctor would posit, never provides the cause. When innocents are crippled or killed by “responsible” high speed drivers, i am sure their mothers care about the subtle, albeit philosophically important differences between correlation and causation.
This is profiling and hate speech against the educated and professionals in this world. I’m going to complain to the editors.