Originally Posted by cyccommute

If your brakes aren't set up properly, it's foolhardy but that has nothing to do with the location of the brake levers. I regularly hit 40 and even 50 mph on loaded touring bikes and I brake almost exclusively from the hoods. I've never failed to stop doing so. Even unloaded, I do a lot of mountain cycling and can hit the same speeds. It's just never been an issue.