Up to Speed

Ever wonder why they make cars that go 140 miles per hour when the speed limit is 70? Speeding ,they say, causes almost as many accidents as drunk driving. The faster you go the more likely you are to crash and to die as a result of this crash. The manufacturers are always bragging about how fast their cars can go and how quickly they can accelerate from 0 to 60. Fuel economy is always a big topic of concern. Would not fuel consumption drop if we calmed down just a little. Sure I can accelerate to 60 in 4.5 seconds but I use a whole lot less if I take ten seconds.
Watch the ads on television and they drive those cars like stunt men in a movie. Well,they are stunt men making a short film. Think you will ever need to drive that fast and power slide your car into a parking spot ?
Even the luxury cars tout how fast they are. They have people getting out of bed early in the morning just to drive their cars on winding mountain highways at breakneck speeds. Thats' realistic.
If we really wanted to make driving a whole lot safer we would make the cars differently. Max speed about seventy. No drag racing to get up to speed. Smaller engines with a larger range in gearing would do the trick.
In the real world however that is never going to happen. Right after man invented the wheel he invented racing. It is in our DNA. We must travel faster. Until we figure out how to "beam me Up" I can't see that changing. Even the Starship Enterprise wasn't fast enough some times, Captain,I'm giving her all shes' got !
No you are not going to get people to slow down any. That is a sure thing,as sure as taxes and death. I do think that one of the contributing factors nowadays is how well made the cars are. You can drive them at sixty and barely know you are moving. Higher speeds are not as evident in the cars now as they were twenty years ago. Lulls you into a false sense of security. Plus the amount of distractions available to the driver.
Some of it is an age thing too. I'm old enough now to understand about driving too fast and the risk involved. When you are young these things never enter your mind. Just floor it and go ! Did my share of irresponsible driving thats' for sure. Before Automobiles I'm sure parents hollered about kids racing those damn horses around. And the wagons ! They are going to kill themselves if not somebody else !
A safe sensible car that will not rapidly accelerate to light speed and break the sound barrier will not sell !
In fact they would be a hazard. Slowpokes causing  traffic jams. Would lead to road rage. We all know about that. We need to drive wherever it is we are going as fast as possible. Speed limits are only a suggestion anyway.