The Need for Speed Shifts Into High Gear

Paul Dean’s March 4 commentary, “Speed, the Sirens’ Song,” is correct: 98% of today’s drivers are incapable of handling a car at high speed. Yet we are constantly bombarded with TV commercials of cars being driven up winding mountain roads at blistering speed, autos braking to a stop by doing a 360-degree turn on a gravel road and other such foolishness. No longer do we see the warning: “Professional driver; don’t attempt this yourself.”

Every young mind believes this is acceptable and normal procedure. Sex sells movies, speed sells cars.

Bill Warren

Pasadena

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Dean’s commentary was great, but he left out the scariest speeders of all--the ones who can’t check the mirrors when changing lanes because they’d drop their cell phones. Cell-phone drivers are four times as likely to have an accident as non-phoners, the same percentage that applies to drunk drivers.

Tim Tolleson

Valencia