Booktalk

Summary:
The Nick Sheff novel Tweak features a young man dealing with the problems of drugs. He is lead through his life by a few bad people and this leads his life on a path of self destruction. He checks in and out of rehab centers, but it always ends with him getting back on his addiction. He tells the story of his life and of all the problems that were caused by being addicted to meth. It ruins his life completely destroying ties with his family and friends, but in the end he gets clean, or does he...?

Personal opinion:
I liked the book alot because it is a good story that shows the perserverance of one man and how he could finally get on the right track. It is quite suspensful with some twists. The friends he makes along the way just ruin his life completely and if anything this book shows you the people you dont want to have as friends. It is a good way to scare people away from drugs as well because I sure wouldnt want to go through the same things he goes through.

Work Cited for legal paper

Taylor, Michael. "State's Speed Up, Deaths Down / Almost a year of higher limits." San Francisco Chronicle 20 Dec. 1996: A1. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010

Wallace, William N. "Speed Limits Rise, But Accidents Don't / Driving may even have improved." San Francisco Chronicle 8 Feb. 1996: A18. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010

Wilson, Marshall. "Higher Speed Limits, Lower Death Rates / Statistics surprise many observers of state's highways." San Francisco Chronicle 2 Nov. 1998: A1. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010

"Tollway, turnpike speed limits may increase soon." Dallas Morning News [Dallas, TX] 8 July 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010

Purcell, Brian. "Accident Rates." Brian's Guide to Getting around Germany. N.p.,
     n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. <http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/
     autobahn.shtml>.

Final Legal Paper

Leo Bartyzel

Writers Workshop

10^th

Speeding up Life

I believe speed limits should be increased on the nation’s highways. Speeding laws have proved over an over to be an issue which faces just about every family in America. Speed limits cause problems for all drivers using the highways and it seems to be common sense that if the speed limits were raised it would provide much more efficient driving. European countries have proved that having no speed limits (the autobahn) can be a safe and a very effective way for people to travel. Brian Purcell, a German transportation expert, provided statistics which were taken in Germany in 2009 on traffic accidents on the autobahn and the results were quite impressive. His evidence showed that “only six percent of injury accidents happen on the autobahn nation wide and less than twelve percent of all traffic fatalities were the result of autobahn crashes” (Accident Rates). The stats provide proof that a change on our highways could in total change the safety. If we made our highways more like the autobahn we would have thousands of safe and satisfied travelers. 

If speed limits are increased on the highways of Illinois the number of fatal accidents would likely fall due to previous examples of speed limits being raised. “In 1998, California raised its highways speed limits in 1987 by 10 mph and its fatality rate fell drastically going from 5,503 in 1979 to 3,671 in 1987. The following year it had even lowered by 300” (Higher Speed Limits). D.O. Helmick, a California Highway Patrol Commissioner, said “I for one am not going to tell you that raising speed limits in California has created a major problem," he said. "We have never seen this kind of reduction in my 30 years on the highway patrol” (Higher Speed Limits). He said referring to the information given. With the information he provided he saw a great increase in the safety of highway drivers. Another Highway expert, Rick Herrington, a North Texas Toll way Authority official, stated that “It’s a much safer environment if everyone is going the same speed” (Turnpike Speed). He is referring to the fact that speed limits now are too slow and because of so many people driving at higher speeds then allowed the people who are going the legal limit are putting the faster drivers at risk. Speeds that are higher make travel safer for the individuals who partake in the faster driving because everyone will be going the speed and not going above it as much.  

As safe as faster speed limits are they are also much more efficient. Common sense seems to dictate that if one were to go a faster speed they would get to their destination faster. John Maxfield, a public information specialist, said, “My personal observation is that traffic is flowing smoother with fewer lane changes” (Speed Limits Rise). With these smoother flowing lanes, people can travel through the highways they usually waste their time on going a speed that limits them. A real world example can be a person who lives in the suburbs, but works in the city. A long car ride to work is the last thing they want especially if they are a little late. With easier moving traffic they can get in one lane, stay in that lane and coast all the way to work without the clutter of getting stuck in traffic or behind some slow driving person. Since a lot of people’s comfort zone is driving about 65 to 70 mph, it eliminates people speeding in total (State’s Speed Up). With higher speed limits it means less people speeding, which in turn mean fewer tickets. Steve Kohler, a public affairs officer, said, “The number of speeding tickets issued was down statewide by about 8 percent” in Texas and that was only in the first two weeks after the speed limit were raised (Speed Limits Rise). It is a benefit to the drivers who no longer have to pay tickets and for the police officers who had to hand out all of the tickets.

Although raising the speed limit would be more efficient it could also be dangerous. People who already go slow on the highways will most likely continue to go slower than the rest of traffic. Another fact is that faster speeds send more harmful emissions into the air. With people driving slowly it causes others to have to weave their way through dangerous high speed traffic. Rick Herrington, the toll way authority, said, “There is higher risk of crashes because motorists will be changing lanes to get around the slower driver” (Turnpike Speed Limits). Other problems also come up with the highways, turnpikes will need to be made longer so people have time to increase speed to match the speed of the other drivers already on the road.

Although there are these problems I still believe that increasing the speed limits is the right thing to do. If they are raised from 55 mph to 85 mph we can see a great change in the crash rates in a good way, we will see its decline. If we are able to make turnpikes longer by just lengthening the merge lanes then we solve that problem. Although we can not change the emissions problem, there are new vehicles being worked on daily that will completely eliminate emissions in all. In the near future people will be driving cars which are safer for the environment and able to travel distances which would be faster with higher speeds. There are many issues that come up with raising speeds, but if we know that it is safer and more efficient why not solve the issues and raise the speeds? It will benefit the average drivers who need to get places faster and safer.

Overall the facts have been provided and there have been many tests which proved the effectiveness of higher speed limits. The time traveling along highways decreases while the safety of drivers increases. It makes everyone happy, from police officers who don’t have to pull people over and hand out useless citations and the drivers who benefit from faster travel and not having to worry about being pulled over because they are in a rush. If the speed limit on Illinois highways is increased to 85 mph we will see a rise in the safety of travelers and the happiness of travels.   

Journal

I believe speed limits should be increased on Illinois highways. In my research I found that the German autobahn, which has no speed limits, reported having less accidents and fewer fatalities than regular roads with speed limits. Raising the speeds will also provide more efficent travel rates because it is safe to assume going faster will get you to your destination faster.

The Effects of Raising and Lowering the Speed Limit

http://www.motorists.org/speed-limits/effects-raising-lowering 

This site contains information about the comparison between increasing the speed limit and lowering it. I can use this in my counterargument along with other stats.

Speeding

http://www.german-autobahn.eu/index.asp?page=speeds This site includes information that can help me figure out some more stats on accident rates and speeds of the autobahn.

The German Autobahn: Living in the Fast Lane

http://maps.unomaha.edu/peterson/funda/sidebar/autobahn.htm

This site includes a ton of information on the German autobahn which includes safety information.