Why do people speed?

[Desslok]

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI

Originally posted by: Match NightFlyerGTI: You certainly have the right to your opinion that the speed limit is ludicrous, but what gives you the right to the right to break it?

Getting to my destination to accomplish more in my day, and my radar detector? It should be my taxpayer right. <FANS flames the>

radar detectors are illegal in VA.

I know. Virginians and D.C. folk are just screwed- not my fault. Petition your congressman.

I wonder on many of the big wigs in DC have their driver drive the speed limit? I agree with the eariler post why don't we have an autobahn? Why do I speed? It was used to be to get the hell out of Seattle before the traffic set it.

 

[mee987]

there are tons of things that can make driving more dangerous, speed just happens to be easily measured. if you could a device at someone and see that they had poor vision or that they were deprived of sleep we would probably have specific laws about those too.

 

[StageLeft]

Um why not speed? Just because there is a speed limit? You'd have to be a pretty sorry ass driver to be unsafe in a nice new competent car going at 80 mph in a relatively empty highway

(for example)

 

[Zenmervolt]

Wow, alternate history eh? Not only don't you know the design speed of most highways you don't know what speed limits were 6 years ago. Let me guess, you started driving less than 6 years ago?

You are correct about me. HOWEVER, my information comes from people who went through driver's ed in the late 1960's and the story runs the same from each of them without my mentioning the information I've gotten from others. They all remember being told that the interstates were designed for a safe 80 mph while in driver's ed and that the speed limits would be raised from 65/70 once more modern vehicles arrived on the scene. Nice try. For further verification I can sift back through Peter Egan's Road and Track collums regarding the speed limit, he mentions the 65/70 limit fairly frequently and the 80mph design speed at least once.

ZV

 

[IGBT]

Because there's a whole bunch of, "I have to be first" or "I'am ahead of you" morons out there. They usually end up as a roadside memorial.

 

[Match]

I guess my main problem with speeding is this: I agree that a lot of people can be safe drivers at 75-80 or so. But, I believe there are also a lot of drivers who are not safe at this speed, but they think they are. These are the people I'm really worried about (and everyone they happen to run into). I feel that the speed limits are a way of limiting these people from hurting themselves and others. If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: Match

I always go the speed limit unless
a. driving conditions prohibit it.

Oh, the irony. You are making a judgement call when you determine the "driving conditions prohibit <driving the speed limit>". See? You are thinking for yourself at that point in time, ignoring the law and the posted limits. Speeders think for themselves all the time.

 

[Jzero]

For further verification I can sift back through Peter Egan's Road and Track collums regarding the speed limit, he mentions the 65/70 limit fairly frequently and the 80mph design speed at least once.

I don't know about your state but here in NJ is was 55 on the highway and 45 on the backroads. In fact, while some roads in NJ were increased to 65, the rule when the speed limit is unposted is STILL 55/45 in NJ.

I'm also pretty certain that the federal recommendation that was lifted a few years ago was 55, not 65. Some states opted to go without the funding incentives granted them by sticking to the 55MPH recommendation, so perhaps your state was one of them and it was raised from 65 to 75.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: Match
If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

Your actions are wrong. By slowing down you are increasing the speed differential of vehicular traffic and this reduces safety for all. The best advice is just go with the flow and don't try to teach other drivers any lessons.

 

[mee987]

Originally posted by: IGBT
Because there's a whole bunch of, "I have to be first" or "I'am ahead of you" morons out there. They usually end up as a roadside memorial.

careful or you will make yourself sound like an idiot. if speeding was just to be "better" or "ahead," why do people speed on lonely backroads?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Match
I guess my main problem with speeding is this: I agree that a lot of people can be safe drivers at 75-80 or so. But, I believe there are also a lot of drivers who are not safe at this speed, but they think they are. These are the people I'm really worried about (and everyone they happen to run into). I feel that the speed limits are a way of limiting these people from hurting themselves and others. If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

Why not just train/screen out the incompetant drivers in a better manner? Personally I've been in favor of better driver's ed requirements for a long time (such as mandatory race driving school, and mandatory emergency maneuvers school, both with track time). We need a system like the one in place in Germany.

ZV

 

[Match]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001

Originally posted by: Match

I always go the speed limit unless
a. driving conditions prohibit it.

Oh, the irony. You are making a judgement call when you determine the "driving conditions prohibit <driving the speed limit>". See? You are thinking for yourself at that point in time, ignoring the law and the posted limits. Speeders think for themselves all the time.

I was referring to bad weather (intense thunderstorm, snow, ice) where I don't feel that I can safely drive the speed limit, so I slow down. Therefore I am not ignorring the speed limit, just recognizing my own limitations.

 

[Xenon14]

I'm curious. If there's a speed limit posted, why exceed it? I seem to be one of very few people on the roads that actually drives the speed limit.

Because I can. Just b/c it's "posted/is the law" doesn't mean you have to be a conformist. I see no point to your thread whatsoever. Before writing this thread did you somehow think that the answers posted by anandtech users would somehow clear up any possible misconception you had about people that speed? It's like asking why there is underaged drinking, why people download mp3's, or why people go under the speed limit. Personally I think this is nothing more the neffing, which is somewhat ironic considering the amount of posts you have!

 

[mee987]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001

Originally posted by: Match
If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

Your actions are wrong. By slowing down you are increasing the speed differential of vehicular traffic and this reduces safety for all. The best advice is just go with the flow and don't try to teach other drivers any lessons.

damn! well said!

 

[Match]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001

Originally posted by: Match
If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

Your actions are wrong. By slowing down you are increasing the speed differential of vehicular traffic and this reduces safety for all. The best advice is just go with the flow and don't try to teach other drivers any lessons.

I disagree that my actions are wrong. By going the speed limit, I am certainly in the minority, but not the wrong IMO. Just because everyone else at school jumps off a bridge...

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Match

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001

Originally posted by: Match
If I and others need to drive slower to accomodate them, this is a small price to pay.

Your actions are wrong. By slowing down you are increasing the speed differential of vehicular traffic and this reduces safety for all. The best advice is just go with the flow and don't try to teach other drivers any lessons.

I disagree that my actions are wrong. By going the speed limit, I am certainly in the minority, but not the wrong IMO. Just because everyone else at school jumps off a bridge...

There is definitely nothing wrong with driving the speed limit, unless you are being an ass and not following other safety measures. I would include driving the speed limit in the left lane when not passing someone as a safety measure.

 

[Linflas]

I could really care less what speed anyone drives. It is only when they insist on camping the left lane that it becomes and issue for me. For some reason too many people in this country are not satisfied with just paying taxes for police services and want to pitch in and teach other drivers a lesson by refusing to yield the left lane to faster traffic once they are clear to do so. They will insist that driving next to another car is being safe while never realizing that by driving next to another car they have closed off one avenue of escape if something occurs ahead of them that requires an evasive maneuver.

 

[Match]

Originally posted by: Xenon14

I'm curious. If there's a speed limit posted, why exceed it? I seem to be one of very few people on the roads that actually drives the speed limit.

Because I can. Just b/c it's "posted/is the law" doesn't mean you have to be a conformist.

The way I see it, I would be a conformist if I was speeding like most other people.

I see no point to your thread whatsoever. Before writing this thread did you somehow think that the answers posted by anandtech users would somehow clear up any possible misconception you had about people that speed?

Actually, yes, and it has, thank you.

Personally I think this is nothing more the neffing, which is somewhat ironic considering the amount of posts you have!

You're right, I do have a lot of posts from this one thread (my count has gone from 25 to 36). I did not expect the size of the response I got. And, I've been responding to people's opinions with my own. I'm not trying to nef, just learn a bit.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Match
I'm curious. If there's a speed limit posted, why exceed it? I seem to be one of very few people on the roads that actually drives the speed limit.

The speed limit in many places is nowhere near what is normal.

50km/h - 35mph is reasonable on BUSY boulevards with LOTS of cross streets, driveways, pedestrians etc.. On the relatively isolated arterials I think 80km/h - 50mph makes more sense. Urban Expressways should be 120km/h and rural divided highways unlimited except for curves, dangerous spots etc. Residential zones make perfect sense at 30km/h, though you should be able to go 50 after midnight. Most of these zones are 50 anyways except around schools and such. Some rural roads - the really narrow ones that you can't drive on with a wide vehicle without going over the yellow line or shoulder - are often marked at 70km/h - 45mph and I don't think they should be set higher because that's damn fast as it is for roads like that. The 55mph roads could perhaps be bumped to 60mph depending on how it is.
Those are just my thoughts, take it as it is

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Match
NightFlyerGTI: You certainly have the right to your opinion that the speed limit is ludicrous, but what gives you the right to the right to break it?

We don't have the right but many people choose to do it anyway. Just another minor law broken.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

If you want the truth I usually ride pretty close to the speed limit, at least in traffic, and always am very cautious in urban areas. On back roads and highways, I choose to ride as conditions permit. Sometimes that is slower (because of rain, etc.) Most often it is faster. I am a better judge of conditions than someone who arbitrarily set the limit for a whole other type of vehicle. Sometimes I go fast enough ( for short stretches with no traffic) to get an adrenaline rush. It feels good, and as I do not do it around others, it endangers no one else. It is as I say, what I choose to do.

 

[Emrys]

I find that there are fewer people speeding on roads where the speed limmit is higher than those where it is not ex:55 zones vs. 65/70 zones. I find this to be that it could partialy be that people go about 40 on city streets(more major roads), so it would feel a little slow going 55 on a road that is about 3 times as wide and better paved, maybe on a road like that it is more comfortable to go about 70-80. Either way, I speed, but there are just certain speeds for me that feel comfortable on different roads, on city it is around 40,45- but freeway closer to 75/80.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Um why not speed? Just because there is a speed limit? You'd have to be a pretty sorry ass driver to be unsafe in a nice new competent car going at 80 mph in a relatively empty highway

(for example)

Why not shoplift? Just because there is a law against it?

Nobody has the right to speed. If you do decide to speed (and I do), I pray you're a good driver and don't think you can do it just because you want to. Too many dumbasses think they're good when they're not and speed anyway. If you're a good driver I have no problems with it though

 

[Chaotic42]

Drive with the flow of traffic. You're a hazard if you don't.

 

[Ultima]

Anyways the option to speed will eventually be taken away from us in a couple decades or sooner. When automated driving is perfected, you think that the government will still let us drive? When automated driving reduces congestion AND accidents? I really doubt it. Maybe then speed limits will be gone and they'll let cars do 100mph+, but ONLY when a computer is doing the driving and not a human.