Well, firstly, I think poor time management - we try to make up on the road, the time we lost elsewhere. You see, those extra 5 mins. spent sipping coffee, or another checking emails, or taking slightly longer than usual to get ready... all adds up, and we end up leaving home later than we planned. Hence, the rush to get places on time.
In some cases, its also the thrill and fun of over speeding, breaking the law and getting away with it! (Maybe not our idea of fun, but I've heard a lot of people say it's theirs!)
Lastly, drinking and driving is also one of the biggest reasons for reckless driving.
They speed because they are afraid of the cars behind them. They know that some drivers will do mean things if they are slowed down, so they break the speed limit to avoid them.
Example: A car is traveling at the speed limit of 35 down a long, two-lane windy road that doesn't allow any passing. Another car quickly approaches from behind, obviously going way over the speed limit. (Otherwise they would not be able to approach because the first car was already doing the max speed.) The approaching car performs the typical intimidation tactic: they continue speeding towards the other car and slow down at the last second before hitting them (charging), then proceed to tailgate dangerously close in an attempt to force the other driver to speed up. They are threatening the other car with physical damage, even though they would be in the wrong with the insurance company and the law if they hit them. The first car, being afraid of the potential damage, the potential personal confrontation, and the loss of time handling the accident, speeds up over the limit to move away from the intimidating car. The intimidating car is now pushing the slower car forward on the road and intimidating them into breaking the law. If they want to go faster, they just repeat the tactic.
They speed because they are "following the flow of traffic". If everyone is breaking the speed limit, then they also break the speed limit. This is wrong in at least four ways.
Liability: Unfortunately, in the eyes of the insurance and the police, you are still breaking the law, which can get you pulled over for speeding and make you the liable party in an accident. This is twisted because I have seen driver's education courses teaching the "follow the flow of traffic" method. Just search for "following the flow of traffic" on google and see for yourself. Everyone is following bogus info and feeding the traffic courts. I couldn't find any great links, but here's a half-way decent one.
Gas consumption: Following the flow of traffic does not remove physics. The air resistance at high speeds will use more gas than at low speeds. (Although the pack of cars might create a "wind tunnel" effect that reduces wind resistance slightly, I don't think it reduces it much.) This affects you financially. Don't throw your money out of your tailpipes.
Environmental Impact: The increased use of gas at high speeds increases the amount of exhaust you are putting into the environment. (Exception: electric cars charged with wind or solar power sources.) The exhaust damages the environment. And for those that would argue that using a motorcycle or a hybrid car, etc. makes you exempt due to it's low exhaust emission: you are still using more gas than you need to, so you are guilty of unnecessarily damaging the environment. You can help out just as much as anyone else by reducing your speed, gas usage, and exhaust emissions.
Decreased Amount of Control: The faster you travel, the less time you have to react. Just because you are following the flow of traffic does not give you the special power of faster reflexes or a car that can magically make emergency maneuvers at high speeds. Example: following the flow of speeding traffic on roads with black ice.
They speed because they are afraid of the cars behind them. They know that some drivers will do mean things if they are slowed down, so they break the speed limit to avoid them.
Example: A car is traveling at the speed limit of 35 down a long, two-lane windy road that doesn't allow any passing. Another car quickly approaches from behind, obviously going way over the speed limit. (Otherwise they would not be able to approach because the first car was already doing the max speed.) The approaching car performs the typical intimidation tactic: they continue speeding towards the other car and slow down at the last second before hitting them (charging), then proceed to tailgate dangerously close in an attempt to force the other driver to speed up. They are threatening the other car with physical damage, even though they would be in the wrong with the taxi insurance company and the law if they hit them. The first car, being afraid of the potential damage, the potential personal confrontation, and the loss of time handling the accident, speeds up over the limit to move away from the intimidating car. The intimidating car is now pushing the slower car forward on the road and intimidating them into breaking the law. If they want to go faster, they just repeat the tactic.
They speed because they are "following the flow of traffic". If everyone is breaking the speed limit, then they also break the speed limit. This is wrong in at least four ways.
Liability: Unfortunately, in the eyes of the insurance and the police, you are still breaking the law, which can get you pulled over for speeding and make you the liable party in an accident. This is twisted because I have seen driver's education courses teaching the "follow the flow of traffic" method. Just search for "following the flow of traffic" on google and see for yourself. Everyone is following bogus info and feeding the traffic courts. I couldn't find any great links, but here's a half-way decent one.
Gas consumption: Following the flow of traffic does not remove physics. The air resistance at high speeds will use more gas than at low speeds. (Although the pack of cars might create a "wind tunnel" effect that reduces wind resistance slightly, I don't think it reduces it much.) This affects you financially. Don't throw your money out of your tailpipes.
Environmental Impact: The increased use of gas at high speeds increases the amount of exhaust you are putting into the environment. (Exception: electric cars charged with wind or solar power sources.) The exhaust damages the environment. And for those that would argue that using a motorcycle or a hybrid car, etc. makes you exempt due to it's low exhaust emission: you are still using more gas than you need to, so you are guilty of unnecessarily damaging the environment. You can help out just as much as anyone else by reducing your speed, gas usage, and exhaust emissions.
Decreased Amount of Control: The faster you travel, the less time you have to react. Just because you are following the flow of traffic does not give you the special power of faster reflexes or a car that can magically make emergency maneuvers at high speeds. Example: following the flow of speeding traffic on roads with black ice.
I just can't get it why people have the sheep mentality even when they are breaking the law. Is it any wonder why there are so many of us who break traffic laws just because everybody is doing it! It's frustrating, but I have to admit that your observations are accurate!
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Posts: 705
Location: McLean, VA, USA
Posted:
Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:40 pm
To answer the original question - no, it has been statistically proven that speed limits do not make roads safer
@Yuka - Yes, people en masse tend to have the sheep mentality, or pack mentality, whichever way you want to call it. And if everybody or almost everybody at least once in their adult life breaks a particular law - the law is bad, not people.
Some of it is sheep mentality, however, there are always those people who feel the need to speed and overtake dangerously to get a couple of cars ahead but end up getting back at the same time as everyone else - they just simply never seem to learn that, sometimes, driving patiently is the safest route and just as quick.
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*link snipped*
I wonder, why do so many people disobey the traffic laws? Shouldn't they want to be law abiding citizens? Wouldn't that make the roads a safer place?
No, traffic laws can only be a guidepost not the be all and end all. The bottom line is that even at the posted speed limit most people are a danger to themselves and to others. They have no idea how their car will react in an emergency situation -- they have never had to practice for this eventuality, so they go into this situation blind: guided only by instinctive reactions (which are often wrong btw) and the grace of god.
I look at the world as I go by and I wonder why in heck are a lot of these people even allowed out here?...
--> They tailgate for miles like maniacs when there is no way to pass.
--> They drive in packs of 6 or 8 cars on virtually empty roads.
--> They speed in parking lots, for god's sake, where there is No regulation of traffic or pedestrians.
--> They look the wrong way first when they approach an intersection.
The list would be endless, but see my point?
I look at this from a totally different vantage point, perhaps it is self-serving, perhaps not. From where I sit it's absolutely amazing. Me, I don't want to drive anywhere near these people. If I can't have my own free space at something near the posted speed limit, I simply drive away from them.
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