When Congress was considering repealing the mandatory 55 mile per hour limit in 1995, then Transportation Secretary Federico Pena said it "simply means that more Americans will die and be injured on our highways." After repeal, Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway Safety, predicted 6,400 more highway fatalities a year and millions more injuries. Ralph Nader described repeal as an "assault on the sanctity of human life."

But in 1996, the first year of higher speed limits, the traffic fatality rate was 1.76 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - the lowest on record. Fatalities rose by 109, or 0.25 percent, from 1995, but motorists traveled an additional 46 million miles. In 1996:

• The absolute number of speeding-related deaths fell by 258.

• Fatalities were down in 30 states and stayed the same in Rhode Island.

• California raised its speed limit to 70 mph and fatalities fell to their lowest level since 1961.

• The national traffic injury rate rose 0.7 percent, from 141 to 142 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

One reason the death and accident rates failed to rise is that an estimated 70 percent of U.S. highway drivers were routinely exceeding the speed limit when it was 55 mph. Average highway speeds have only risen by an estimated two miles per hour on highways with the new limits.