Final Score--10-1; Ten Law Breakers; One Slowpoke

Time--Sunday night between 9 and 10 p.m. (The Giants were mauling the Packers on WFAN.  Over the weekend, rather than listen to new wave on complimentary Sirius Radio, I couldn't tear myself away from the FAN with New York Jet fans moaning about the Jets' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Patriots--what fun!).

Stretch of road--Interstate 89; 60 miles from Lebanon to Concord.

Results of our traveling at 65-66 mph survey--

10 cars sailed past me as I was observing the speed limit; they were obviously law breakers.

1 car was going so slowly, I had to pass it.  Yes, that was the law abiding citizen out and traveling our road.  I nearly got all the way to Concord without coming upon a single person obeying the law, but around Hopkinton, I did in fact come upon this law abider.

I saw no state troopers on the highway, but then it was dark.

Would I lie?

Of course not.

You do the math.  10-1; what percentage is that of law breakers? 

91 percent sounds right to me.  If we raised the speed limit to 70 or 75 miles an hour, society would be just as safe, but we wouldn't have 91 percent of decent folks making criminals of themselves!

Next time, maybe the week after Christmas, I'll raise my speed to 70 miles an hour and see what percentage of people still pass me.  My guess is it'll be 50/50.

Do it!

Comments

[Chuck Townsend]

A problem with this analysis is that it is badly skewed to count people who travel much above or below the speed limit. If 95% of the people are traveling at the speed limit, as you are, they will never be counted. Since few people travel much below the speed limit, you are not likely to pass many of those. The people you are most likely to count are traveling 75, 80, 85 mph. They pass many cars and are likely to pass you. People traveling 68 may pass a few people, and you are much likely to be passed by one of them.

You have presented no evidence that 91% of the road users are law breakers. You have shown only that in the course of an hour, of all the people on the road with you, 10 were speeding.

[Rep Steve Vaillancourt]

Such logic while technically correct is insane. I'll go 70 next time and see what stats I get. Believe me, as you travel (as Rep. Townsend certainly must), you learn very quickly that virtually no one is going exactly 65, so get real, sir!