Speed saves lives.
Ambulances need to get to hospital as quickly as possible for instance.
I got off an aeroplane this morning that had to be doing at least 150mph before it left the ground - any slower could have been fatal for all on board.
Deceleration kills :- hitting hard roadside furniture for instance - speed cameras are particularly robust and right on the edge of the road.
The chances of hitting solid items can be greatly reduced with better engineering - this doesn't include sticking more signs up.
As already mentioned higher speeds also assist in maintaining alertness this is completely overlooked and misunderstood by authorities. I would rather be missed by a car that was doing 30mph than hit by one doing a steady 20mph. A car doing 3mph could kill you.
Considering how many movements and potential accidents there are on the roads everyday we do amazingly well. More people die from accidents in the home than accidents on the road every year in the UK. Both these figures are way behind those killed in hospital through accidents / mistakes. Admittedly those in hospital will already be ill and there will be very high pressure decisions required. (I have a great admiration for those that do work in Hospitals as well - my wife does for a start)
Almost back on topic - what currently really annoys me on the roads is the downward spiral in speed limits - This process also seems to combine with a lowering of the maintenance standards to the same roads.
These reductions are usually completely unscientific - just the whim of a local parish councillor / nibmby. Speed limits used to be set using the 85th percentile - this is no longer the case.
Speed cameras do nothing to improve safety - there was a published report a few years back in my area there were no sites were accidents improved - there were sites with no KSI for 3 years prior to camera placement 4 KSI in the 6 months after!
Drive past one - you will have people panic braking, cars will be bunching up, drivers will be looking at the speedo not the road ahead.
As the biggest cause of accidents is poor observation, bunching people up and making them concentrate on the speedo is not going to improve that.
Otherwise agree with most of the above - tailgaters will claim there is a lane hog in front of them though
Tony
PS on some motorways/duals the lane discipline has become so bad I am almost in favour of it you can cruise up the inside at 68 in an empty lane