| Sandy 2004-10-31, 10:08 pm |
| Subject: Halloween Study by Bullhorn, Munchie, et al
During the evening of Halloween, there were many cars which traveled
through the observed neighborhood. While many cars observed the 25
MPH speed limits and many were observed traveling under the posted
speed limit, several cars were speeding down this residential
neighborhood's poorly lit streets, with one traveling at 50 MPH.
Trick-or-treating children were observed in facial masks which many
times appeared to obstruct their vision and they were many times seen
not paying attention to their surroundings. In spite of this, no one
was killed or injured by a motor vehicle during our study. Since one
motorist first received his driver's license in 1953, he is considered
an expert at driving in dark residential neighborhoods. Despite the
fact that along with him, we observed speeds which varied from well
under the posted speed limit, up to 25 MPH over the speed limit at
night with kids trick-or-treating, and the fact that no one was
injured or killed, we can only conclude that there can be no known
contraindication to speeding at night in residential neighborhoods
even while kids are out trick-or-treating, because we have observed
several speeding cars under these conditions, with no adverse effects
noted in any case at all.
Conclusion: While the sample size was limited, statistical analysis
revealed no correlation between speed and night driving, even in the
presence of small children. Laws to reduce speed in residential
neighborhood were originally based on anecdotal reports that there may
be a danger to children. Our study shows the contrary. We believe
that is time for governments to re-think laws that limit motorists to
present residential speed limits, even at night with children present.
In spite of previous anecdotal reports, this study concludes that
there is no correlation between speed and night driving, even in the
presence of small children who are visually impaired by wearing facial
masks and not paying attention.
Editor's comments: I am going to publish this and put myself out
there as an expert witness. Something horrible could happen to any
motorist who has passed the state licensing examination, and is found
by the state licensing authorities to be qualified, who drives 50 MPH
at night through a residential neighborhood on Halloween and kills or
maims a child. I think there might be a chance of a lawsuit or even
court trial. This, of course, would be a travesty of justice that an
innocent motorist, whom the state has certified and licensed to
practice driving, would be charged or sued for this bad Halloween
outcome. I hope that this study could, in some way, prevent
successful lawsuits from parents who fully understood the dangers
present when they allowed their children to walk the streets at night
in facial masks that visually impaired them, and failed to exercise
full alertness to their surroundings to be sure not to obstruct the
path of a motor vehicle.
If something is not done to prevent this growing trend of parents
suing for their childrens' bad trick-or-treat experience, automobile
rates will eventually force insurers out of the auto insurance market.
We will all suffer, as drivers cut back on the number of trips they
make, children will not get to school, and the elderly will be denied
rides to doctor visits. I urge all of you to work for liability
reform to limit the awards given to these parents by our runaway legal
system.
In the meantime, I believe this study can help reverse this injustice
to our fellow motorists, who like to speed through dark streets in
their Porsches at 50 MPH on Halloween. Our biggest problem is parents
who are unwilling to assume responsibility for the risks they and
their children took, just because they did not get the Halloween
miracle they were looking for. The anecdotal incidence of childrens'
death due to automobiles on Halloween was previously believed to be
very low. This study found it to be non-existent.
I congratulate the authors of this study for their continued efforts
to subvert Halloween lawsuits.
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