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Is speeding really all that bad?

XZeroII

XZeroII

Lifer
I was browsing the intarweb and came across this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18863634/

Check out the bottom,

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding is the second highest cause of fatal car accidents in the U.S. and accounted for 13,189, or 30.4 percent, of the 43,443 traffic-related deaths in 2005. Only drunk driving kills more people on the road, taking 16,885 lives in 2005, according to the most recent NHTSA data. Together drunk driving and speeding account for nearly 70 percent of the total number of fatal crashes in 2005.
Click to expand...

Just FYI...
 
Originally posted by: XZeroII
I was browsing the intarweb and came across this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18863634/

Quinn said that the purpose of the Speed Trap Exchange is to draw attention to areas where speed limits are arbitrarily low and to let people know about variations in enforcement of speed limits between different regions. ?In some areas, everyone drives 10 mph over the speed limit and it is accepted by the law enforcement agencies,? he said. ?And in some areas they pull you over if you go over the limit by 1 mph.?

Just FYI...
Click to expand...

Just FYI back at you from the very same article.

There may be some justifiable "Speed traps" out there in places where there have been fatal accidents but the overall majority of those traps are strictly revenue generators and that is 110% wrong.

So what police force are you on and how many bogus speeding tickets have you given out to pay for the Police Christmas party at the end of the year?
 
Originally posted by: XZeroII
I was browsing the intarweb and came across this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18863634/

Check out the bottom,

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding is the second highest cause of fatal car accidents in the U.S. and accounted for 13,189, or 30.4 percent, of the 43,443 traffic-related deaths in 2005. Only drunk driving kills more people on the road, taking 16,885 lives in 2005, according to the most recent NHTSA data. Together drunk driving and speeding account for nearly 70 percent of the total number of fatal crashes in 2005.
Click to expand...

Just FYI...
Click to expand...

When 90% of the people who drive are speeding I'm surprised only 30% of fatalities involve speeding.
 
This thread is not going to end well.

There are way too many variables. If it's 3AM, the roads are dry and there are no cars for miles.. I'll drive as fast as I fscking want. 😉
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Speeding on highways at 75-85 during normal conditions by an attentive driver is no more dangerous than driving 65.
Click to expand...
Agreed.

Someone will be along shortly to argue that if you do get into a wreck, though, you'll be more likely do die. Such is life.
 
i wonder how many of those who were speeding and caused fatal accidents were also weaving in and out of traffic?
 
I want to see some statistics from Germany involving the Autobahn, where people can actually speed correctly.

My friend just got a ticket for doing 85 in a 70 this weekend for being forced to pass on the right because d!ckheads are talking on their cellphone in the left lane.

Gotta love memorial weekend, they bring out the planes and everything...
 
Originally posted by: mariok2006
I want to see some statistics from Germany involving the Autobahn, where people can actually speed correctly.
Click to expand...
QFT.

I bet most of the "speeding" accidents actually involved two dumbasses; the one speeding, and the one who caused the accident. :roll:

Speeding by itself does not cause very many accidents, IMO. Most people automatically adjust their speed based on driving conditions. If you can go 90, you can go 90.

It is when you throw everyone else on the road around you that you run into issues...

Having a speed limit is necessary to ensure uniformity, but IMO.. the number does not matter.
 
I would bet that people who take these statistics count speeding as going anywhere from 1 mph over the limit speed and up. Id say 95% of all drivers drive marginally over the speed limit, which is considered speeding.
 
I've taken courses with highway design and pretty much every formula is based on a design speed. With that, they factor in average reaction times to design for curves and sight distances. There's a lot of thought put into it, so you're pretty much screwing yourself and others by going over. Maybe you're one of the 'above' average people it's designed for, but you're just screwing yourself and the cars in the pileup you cause. Or maybe just the guardrail and ditch you go into...

Edit: Correction: design speed != speed limit.
 
What started out as a safety measure long ago morphed into a multi-billion dollar industry. A tiny one-horse town near here (Waldo, FL) pulls in over 33% of their revenue from speeding tickets. Designated a AAA Speed Trap to avoid/watch out for. The place is littered with traffic cops.
 
Maybe speeding causes more deaths, because, ummm, cars are built so the passengers are more likely to survive accidents at lower speeds? If we built cars so that no one could be killed in an accident involving speeds <100 mph, then it would result in 100% of deaths being due to speeding.

Saying that speeding kills doesn't tell the whole story. Were people speeding on icy roads? etc.
 
Originally posted by: mariok2006
I want to see some statistics from Germany involving the Autobahn, where people can actually speed correctly.

My friend just got a ticket for doing 85 in a 70 this weekend for being forced to pass on the right because d!ckheads are talking on their cellphone in the left lane.

Gotta love memorial weekend, they bring out the planes and everything...
Click to expand...

Yup. I'll bet someone held a gun to his head, MAKING him drive 85 in a 70 zone. :laugh:

If I remember correctly, Germany has fewer accidents on the autobahn (they do practice drive right and pass left) than we do on interstates, but when they do have one it's generally a real doozie.

 
What determines whether speeding was the cause of an accident? Im pretty sure if someone was in an accident going 2mph over the speed limit, they would have marked another tally. Id say this statistic is bullshit. IMHO 90% of those deaths were a result of something other than speeding.
 
Originally posted by: Imp
I've taken courses with highway design and pretty much every formula is based on a design speed (i.e. speed limit). With that, they factor in average reaction times to design for curves and sight distances. There's a lot of thought put into it, so you're pretty much screwing yourself and others by going over. Maybe you're one of the 'above' average people it's designed for, but you're just screwing yourself and the cars in the pileup you cause. Or maybe just the guardrail and ditch you go into...
Click to expand...

But most of the highways have design speeds which are well over the posted speed limit. The posted speed limit came as a result of the desire to save fuel following the 1973 energy crisis. It was only after the fuel shortage let up did the reason for the speed limit change from fuel efficiency to "safety".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_mph_national_speed_limit

Replacing 70 mph sign with 55 mph sign

Keep in mind this was in the mid 70's, and you know how well those river barges handled. Cars handle much, much better now, so if anything the speed limit should be increased over the pre-1974 limit.

However, states found that a TON of money was made by enforcing the lower speed limit. Even after the national 55 mph limit was lifted, states could not break free of their revenue addiction. "Safety" is the propaganda they use today, but it's interesting to know the real story.

 
So when they say speeding, do they mean on highways or do they mean those stupid people that like to drive 50-60 on a small, winding road in the dark where the safest speed limit is 30mph ?
 
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Speeding on highways at 75-85 during normal conditions by an attentive driver is no more dangerous than driving 65.
Click to expand...

Except that you need 70% more distance to come to a full stop when traveling at 85 mph then when traveling at 65 mph.
 
Originally posted by: allisolm
Originally posted by: mariok2006
I want to see some statistics from Germany involving the Autobahn, where people can actually speed correctly.

My friend just got a ticket for doing 85 in a 70 this weekend for being forced to pass on the right because d!ckheads are talking on their cellphone in the left lane.

Gotta love memorial weekend, they bring out the planes and everything...
Click to expand...

Yup. I'll bet someone held a gun to his head, MAKING him drive 85 in a 70 zone. :laugh:

If I remember correctly, Germany has fewer accidents on the autobahn (they do practice drive right and pass left) than we do on interstates, but when they do have one it's generally a real doozie.
Click to expand...

Nah, he didn't have to pass on the right with that kind of speed, that was his mistake. What bothers me is the complete disregard for traffic rules by the majority of people.
 
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: Imp
I've taken courses with highway design and pretty much every formula is based on a design speed (i.e. speed limit). With that, they factor in average reaction times to design for curves and sight distances. There's a lot of thought put into it, so you're pretty much screwing yourself and others by going over. Maybe you're one of the 'above' average people it's designed for, but you're just screwing yourself and the cars in the pileup you cause. Or maybe just the guardrail and ditch you go into...
Click to expand...

But most of the highways have design speeds which are well over the posted speed limit. The posted speed limit came as a result of the desire to save fuel following the 1973 energy crisis. It was only after the fuel shortage let up did the reason for the speed limit change from fuel efficiency to "safety".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_mph_national_speed_limit

Replacing 70 mph sign with 55 mph sign

Keep in mind this was in the mid 70's, and you know how well those river barges handled. Cars handle much, much better now, so if anything the speed limit should be increased over the pre-1974 limit.

However, states found that a TON of money was made by enforcing the lower speed limit. Even after the national 55 mph limit was lifted, states could not break free of their revenue addiction. "Safety" is the propaganda they use today, but it's interesting to know the real story.
Click to expand...

I disagree with your conspiracy theory bull. Safety is the reason why we have speed limits. Your idea that lowering the speed limits provides more revenues is bogus. There will always be plenty of people who drive above the posted speed limits, no mater what they are, and provide a never ending source of revenue for the states. Personaly I always drive 5 to 10 KM above the posted limits on main divided highways.
 
Originally posted by: Number1
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: Imp
I've taken courses with highway design and pretty much every formula is based on a design speed (i.e. speed limit). With that, they factor in average reaction times to design for curves and sight distances. There's a lot of thought put into it, so you're pretty much screwing yourself and others by going over. Maybe you're one of the 'above' average people it's designed for, but you're just screwing yourself and the cars in the pileup you cause. Or maybe just the guardrail and ditch you go into...
Click to expand...

But most of the highways have design speeds which are well over the posted speed limit. The posted speed limit came as a result of the desire to save fuel following the 1973 energy crisis. It was only after the fuel shortage let up did the reason for the speed limit change from fuel efficiency to "safety".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_mph_national_speed_limit

Replacing 70 mph sign with 55 mph sign

Keep in mind this was in the mid 70's, and you know how well those river barges handled. Cars handle much, much better now, so if anything the speed limit should be increased over the pre-1974 limit.

However, states found that a TON of money was made by enforcing the lower speed limit. Even after the national 55 mph limit was lifted, states could not break free of their revenue addiction. "Safety" is the propaganda they use today, but it's interesting to know the real story.
Click to expand...

I disagree with your conspiracy theory bull. Safety is the reason why we have speed limits. Your idea that lowering the speed limits provides more revenues is bogus. There will always be plenty of people who drive above the posted speed limits, no mater what they are, and provide a never ending source of revenue for the states. Personaly I always drive 5 to 10 KM above the posted limits on main divided highways.
Click to expand...

No. He's right for the most part. Speed limits were instituted nation wide during the oil crisis of the '70s. Afterwards, states decided to keep the revenue generator. Whenever they need more money, they raise the cost of the fines and have cops issue more tickets (another words, being stricter with who they pull over); it's a way of raising taxes without raising taxes.

Sure, there are cases where speed limits are in place for safety, but on a long, straight highway, a speed limit of 50 (such as in NYC) is ridiculous and just a way to raise money when you want to set up a speed trap.
 
Nah, he didn't have to pass on the right with that kind of speed, that was his mistake. What bothers me is the complete disregard for traffic rules by the majority of people.
Click to expand...
You mean like driving 85 in a 70 zone and passing on the right?
 
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