Speeding

[taxslave]

so why do we (most people) have to speed?[/QUOTE]

How about because in many places the speed limit is arbitrarily set too low? Case in point: When the island Hwy. was finished to Pt. Hardy the speed limit was set at 90km. After all the Mayors and councilors got tired of speeding tickets and protested it was raised to 110 which is reasonable although there is only one corner that is unsafe over 110 and that is on the old stretch between Campbell river and Sayward and the limit there is 90km. That corner has a slow to 70 sign.
Now there are places such as school zones where speed is definitely stupid but on open roads it is different.

 

[Stretch]

In the Northern Territory here in Australia, the speed limit out on the open roads/highways is open, no limit, they always have the lowest death rates of all the states and territories in Australia. Their roads are also very good. our roads today are cluttered with visual polution, there are signs one after the other for this that and the other. I drive on a narrow winding road that has never seen an accident on it.....but our local government saw fit to erect a huge sign 6ft by 4ft saying "SLOW DOWN NOW" at night when driving towards that sign you are blinded to oncoming traffic due to your lights being reflected back at you by the sign, how intelligent is that!
A test done in the uk a couple of yrs back where speed limits were altered up and down and the results studyed proved that most people arent idiots, and no matter what the posted speed limit was, people drove according to the current conditions.
As for the prolific number of signs on our roads....in some countries in europe and also in NZ, the number of signs was reduced to almost zero and the number of accidents and traffic offences went down accordingly...........just a coincedence.....?

 

[JLM]

so why do we (most people) have to speed?

How about because in many places the speed limit is arbitrarily set too low? Case in point: When the island Hwy. was finished to Pt. Hardy the speed limit was set at 90km. After all the Mayors and councilors got tired of speeding tickets and protested it was raised to 110 which is reasonable although there is only one corner that is unsafe over 110 and that is on the old stretch between Campbell river and Sayward and the limit there is 90km. That corner has a slow to 70 sign.
Now there are places such as school zones where speed is definitely stupid but on open roads it is different.[/QUOTE]

Taxslave- I surveyed the Centre line for the stretch from the Salmon Crossing up Elk Creek right to Eve River Summit in 1970-71. There is quite a bit more than horizontal alignment that goes into setting the speed limit. Sure theres lots of places where you can physically drive that highway at 140 kmh. - no problem. Where you run into problems is stopping sight distances, especially when you are on a 7% downgrade and it's raining and a deer jumps out in front of you. :smile:

 

[#juan]

How about because in many places the speed limit is arbitrarily set too low? Case in point: When the island Hwy. was finished to Pt. Hardy the speed limit was set at 90km. After all the Mayors and councilors got tired of speeding tickets and protested it was raised to 110 which is reasonable although there is only one corner that is unsafe over 110 and that is on the old stretch between Campbell river and Sayward and the limit there is 90km. That corner has a slow to 70 sign.
Now there are places such as school zones where speed is definitely stupid but on open roads it is different.

Taxslave- I surveyed the Centre line for the stretch from the Salmon Crossing up Elk Creek right to Eve River Summit in 1970-71. There is quite a bit more than horizontal alignment that goes into setting the speed limit. Sure theres lots of places where you can physically drive that highway at 140 kmh. - no problem. Where you run into problems is stopping sight distances, especially when you are on a 7% downgrade and it's raining and a deer jumps out in front of you. :smile:[/QUOTE]
If you buy the latest Corvette you will be capable of something around a 180 mph. The hot, high end mustang will certainly hit a 150mph. There is a Mazda hatchback that will do a 150 mph. My little Corolla will do a 120mph. Why don't we put governors on all these cars and limit them to the allowed speed. I don't think anyone would be happy with that. Better yet why don't we teach people to drive like the do in Europe and eventually do away with speed limits on major highways.

 

[JLM]

Taxslave- I surveyed the Centre line for the stretch from the Salmon Crossing up Elk Creek right to Eve River Summit in 1970-71. There is quite a bit more than horizontal alignment that goes into setting the speed limit. Sure theres lots of places where you can physically drive that highway at 140 kmh. - no problem. Where you run into problems is stopping sight distances, especially when you are on a 7% downgrade and it's raining and a deer jumps out in front of you. :smile:

If you buy the latest Corvette you will be capable of something around a 180 mph. The hot, high end mustang will certainly hit a 150mph. There is a Mazda hatchback that will do a 150 mph. My little Corolla will do a 120mph. Why don't we put governors on all these cars and limit them to the allowed speed. I don't think anyone would be happy with that. Better yet why don't we teach people to drive like the do in Europe and eventually do away with speed limits on major highways.[/QUOTE]

Yeh, right, with typical Canadian roads being ice/snow covered 4-5 months of the year. I think if people want to speed they should buy a plane ticket. But the idea has possibilities as far as enabling population control.

 

[#juan]

If you buy the latest Corvette you will be capable of something around a 180 mph. The hot, high end mustang will certainly hit a 150mph. There is a Mazda hatchback that will do a 150 mph. My little Corolla will do a 120mph. Why don't we put governors on all these cars and limit them to the allowed speed. I don't think anyone would be happy with that. Better yet why don't we teach people to drive like the do in Europe and eventually do away with speed limits on major highways.

Yeh, right, with typical Canadian roads being ice/snow covered 4-5 months of the year. I think if people want to speed they should buy a plane ticket. But the idea has possibilities as far as enabling population control.[/QUOTE]
Better yet. Why don't we give good drivers a respite from speed limits. I have never had an accident but I am a fast driver. Maybe the drivers with a lot of accidents should be held to a lower speed limit. Maybe it could be done with different coloured licence plates.

 

[JLM]

Yeh, right, with typical Canadian roads being ice/snow covered 4-5 months of the year. I think if people want to speed they should buy a plane ticket. But the idea has possibilities as far as enabling population control.

Better yet. Why don't we give good drivers a respite from speed limits. I have never had an accident but I am a fast driver. Maybe the drivers with a lot of accidents should be held to a lower speed limit. Maybe it could be done with different coloured licence plates.[/QUOTE]

Who would determine who the "good drivers" are? A lot of times a "good driving record" is more a matter of good luck than good driving.