Brent Knutson's Auto Liberation

In the article “Auto Liberation,” by author Brent Knutson, he discusses his reasoning as to why “American speed limits are unnecessarily restrictive, but also they infringe on the personal freedoms of American citizens” (Knutson 620). In other words he claims that American speed limits violate our freedom. Knutson’s main argument is mostly based off of his experience while driving in Germany. “On Germany’s autobahns, people normally drive in excess of 80 miles per hour. Yet, these German superhighways are the safest in the world, filled with German drivers who are skilled, competent, and courteous” (Knutson 619). Knutson continues to argue that people are manipulated by auto insurances that speed skills. Whereas Knutson claims that it is not speed that kills people, but instead the hazardous conditions around the driver. As Knutson continues to prove his reasoning’s that the U.S. highways should change their speed limits, he also points out that Americans are some of the
As for myself, I don’t think it is enough to change or lift the U.S speed limits because I believe that speed does kill, Americans are not properly educated and trained, and everyday driving should not be viewed as “fun”. Driving is very serious because it can result in deaths. While the United States already deals with many speed related fatalities every day, I don’t think that getting rid of our speed limits or raising it to a higher speed will lower the rates of car accidents/deaths. Although the “stringent safety requirements imposed by the Department of Transportation for vehicles sold in the United States ensure that our cars and trucks are the safest in the world” (Knutson 621) It does not mean that the person getting behind the wheel is the safest person, and for that reason we have speed limits to protect our lives the best way it possibly