G, I'm not sure whether or not raising the speed limits from 55 mph will necessarily result in more deaths. Non-compliance and having people drive at greater differences of speed seems to me more dangerous. If these things continue to occur at a higher speed, then obviously I would expect more deaths. I'm just not sure.

In the Netherlands for instance, we drive 75 mph on the highway and we only have 750 traffic deaths in a population of 16 million (2005 data). I calculated it, and it comes out to about 14000 deaths in 300 million, while the US saw nearly 43000 deaths (2004 data). France, with a 87,5 mph speed limit does even better. It seems to me to be a combination of enforcement and the laws reflecting the driving patterns of a great majority of people (what they call the 85th-percentile rule).

sorry, I have a bit of a thing for traffic laws.