Why speed _limits_ suck
Jul. 22nd, 2005 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueWell, my previous post about speed cameras has also crossed over to a discussion of speed limits.
So -
Why speed limits suck:
* The motorways in the UK are some of the safest roads in the country, indeed even in Europe. The average speed tends towards 80/90 mph, somewhat above the posted speed limit.
* There is no arbitrary transition between safe as opposed to dangerous. At an absolute level, 5mph is safer than 30. However, when you're on a road where traffic is travelling at 60 miles an hour (regardless of posted limit) then being notably slower is _you_ causing a hazard to other drivers.
* The national speed restrictions in this country were introduced due to fuel consumption. Nothing to do with safety. Vehicle and material technology has improved greatly over the last 50 years, such that a new car at 90 is safer than a 50 year old car at 60.
* Safe driving is awareness of hazards, and objects around you. Velocity of vehicle is a primary causitive factor in 6% of accidents, and a 'secondary' factor in 7.3% (DoT report), information found http://www.speed-trap.co.uk/Facts&Figures/Facts&Figures_Home.htm
The greater ones being failure to judge other person's vector, and carelessness/thoughtlessness/recklessness.
One can argue that exceeding a posted limit counts as recklessness, but I remain unconvinced.
So how about we simply remove the national speed limit, and maybe ditch quite a few of the higher speed dual carriageway restrictions, and apply prosecutions under the basis of 'dangerous/careless driving' instead.
So -
Why speed limits suck:
* The motorways in the UK are some of the safest roads in the country, indeed even in Europe. The average speed tends towards 80/90 mph, somewhat above the posted speed limit.
* There is no arbitrary transition between safe as opposed to dangerous. At an absolute level, 5mph is safer than 30. However, when you're on a road where traffic is travelling at 60 miles an hour (regardless of posted limit) then being notably slower is _you_ causing a hazard to other drivers.
* The national speed restrictions in this country were introduced due to fuel consumption. Nothing to do with safety. Vehicle and material technology has improved greatly over the last 50 years, such that a new car at 90 is safer than a 50 year old car at 60.
* Safe driving is awareness of hazards, and objects around you. Velocity of vehicle is a primary causitive factor in 6% of accidents, and a 'secondary' factor in 7.3% (DoT report), information found http://www.speed-trap.co.uk/Facts&Figures/Facts&Figures_Home.htm
The greater ones being failure to judge other person's vector, and carelessness/thoughtlessness/recklessness.
One can argue that exceeding a posted limit counts as recklessness, but I remain unconvinced.
So how about we simply remove the national speed limit, and maybe ditch quite a few of the higher speed dual carriageway restrictions, and apply prosecutions under the basis of 'dangerous/careless driving' instead.
