Speed Limits

[noseall]

Some things are universal constants.

Until disproved as constants in the future

 

[megawatt]

Indeed Tim ... Indeed.

 

[Softus]

If all drivers drove appropriately there would not be a need for speed limits.

I think that's a fallacy. There are lots of situations, particularly for novice drivers, when the driver doesn't have enough local knowledge and/or street sense, and a guide as to safe maximum speed for the road is useful.

Apart from that, there will never be a time when all drivers can be trusted to drive appropriately without enforcement of speed limits.

 

[megawatt]

If all drivers drove appropriately there would not be a need for speed limits.

This statement is, of course, quite accurate.

As Softus has said though it's not exactly realistic.

Regarding

Apart from that, there will never be a time when all drivers can be trusted to drive appropriately without enforcement of speed limits.

Probably also true but there is far more to driving appropriately than the enforcing of speed limits and, whilst the focus is on cameras and revenue rather than more police on the streets, we will never make the roads safer.

Despite the causal link between speed and death when impacts occur, dangerous/careless driving causes the impacts to occur not speed per-se.

MW

 

[Brigadier]

Probably also true but there is far more to driving appropriately than the enforcing of speed limits and, whilst the focus is on cameras and revenue rather than more police on the streets, we will never make the roads safer.

Despite the causal link between speed and death when impacts occur, dangerous/careless driving causes the impacts to occur not speed per-se.

My point exactly - I completely support low and ruthlessly-enforced speed limits where the situation dictates - I don't support speed limits set far below what is appropriate for a desolate stretch of tarmac without even a sheep to witness it's users, only for the reason of generating revenue. It happens - why else would Plod sun himself, laser in hand, on the road I mentioned earlier?

I drove along said stretch of road this afternoon, and as if to support my theory of speed-limit-set-merely-to-trick-cash-out-of-drivers, the speed limit actually rises to 40 as you approach an island with an office building off it - the limit then drops to 30 as you disappear off into the countryside.....

 

[joe-90]

whilst the focus is on cameras and revenue rather than more police on the streets, we will never make the roads safer.



MW

Then lets use the revenue raised to patrol the roads. Unmarked cars picking up speeders who only slow down for cameras.

 

[megawatt]

Or ... Let's get our heads out of our ar**es and realise that there is more to road safety than speeding and try to address all of the issues and not just one of them.

As I said, speeding doesn't cause accidents ... Bad driving does and whilst we are all so pre-occupied with speed nothing is being done about the causes of accidents.

Just take a look at your own experiences, how many accidents have you seen and what were their causes?

I've seen quite a few and they've all been caused by poor driving not speeding ... People driving too close and going up the back end of someone in front ... Driving into the side of some fool who crashes a red light ... Changing lane without looking and driving into the side of someone who happens to be next to them at the time et al.

I have never seen an accident resulting from speeding per-se?

MW

 

[JohnD]

but when collisions do occur, the ones with more speed are far worse.

 

[megawatt]

Never denied that but the fact is that we should be paying more attention to accident prevention ... If we never had accidents speeding would not be a problem.

We are constantly dealing with the symptom rather than the cause.

MW

 

[Thermo]

Or ... Let's get our heads out of our ar**es and realise that there is more to road safety than speeding and try to address all of the issues and not just one of them.

As I said, speeding doesn't cause accidents ... Bad driving does and whilst we are all so pre-occupied with speed nothing is being done about the causes of accidents.

Just take a look at your own experiences, how many accidents have you seen and what were their causes?

I've seen quite a few and they've all been caused by poor driving not speeding ... People driving too close and going up the back end of someone in front ... Driving into the side of some fool who crashes a red light ... Changing lane without looking and driving into the side of someone who happens to be next to them at the time et al.

I have never seen an accident resulting from speeding per-se?

MW

put your head where you like. speeding can and does cause accidents. a person going into a corner at too high a speed and losing control of the vehicle crashes. Cause of the accident..........speed. I spent a night 5 years ago picking up the bits and pieces of eight poeple, including a family of 3 with an 8 month old baby, literally cut int two. They were the innocent ones driving in the opposite direction. The other 4 in the other car were being driven at 110mph as they came round a bend too fast, lost it, hit the central barrier, flipped in teh air and went across the other side of the A road.

Ive seen the results of bad driving, stupid driving, poor driving, drunk driving, drugged driving, driving at speed and any other thing you want to call it, from people on bikes, cars, lorries etc.

You can argue it till the cows come home, but the simple truth is it does kill, wether you like it or not.

 

[megawatt]

I hear what you say Thermo but it isn't the ONLY cause of accidents nor do I believe it is the MAJOR cause of accidents yet, people on this site are totally preoccupied with speeding at the expense of all the other (far more common) causes of accidents.

All I'm trying to say is deal with all the issues not just one of them.

BTW ...

A person going into a corner at too high a speed and losing control of the vehicle crashes. Cause of the accident..........speed

Not necessarily, the too high a speed could still be within the limit i.e. going round a corner at 50mph in a 60mph limit ... Careless driving not speed is the cause here.

MW

 

[Softus]

We're all agreed then. Speed is a bad thing, and speed limits are a good thing.

That, as they say in the film industry, would appear to be a wrap.

 

[megawatt]

Agreed

 

[dg123]

If all drivers drove appropriately there would not be a need for speed limits.

I think that's a fallacy. There are lots of situations, particularly for novice drivers, when the driver doesn't have enough local knowledge and/or street sense, and a guide as to safe maximum speed for the road is useful.

Apart from that, there will never be a time when all drivers can be trusted to drive appropriately without enforcement of speed limits.

If the driver does not have sufficient knowledge of the road or the locale then the driver should compensate for this and drive appropriately - if this means driving at below the posted limit then so be it, it doesn't take a genius to realise this. The reason we have speed limits is that all drivers do not drive appropriately - that is why my point is preceded with 'if'.

 

[Softus]

If the driver does not have sufficient knowledge of the road or the locale then the driver should compensate for this and drive appropriately - if this means driving at below the posted limit then so be it, it doesn't take a genius to realise this. The reason we have speed limits is that all drivers do not drive appropriately - that is why my point is preceded with 'if'.

Well pardon me for thinking that you were outlining a real-life proposition.

IF you were just day-dreaming about something that can never happen then I retract my post and apologise for wasting your time.