Help Needed with speeding discussion!!

NetLarfs

Hi. I have to present a "ficticious" case to SUPPORT speeding in our every day lives as part of my studies. Only problem is that I am stuck for anything half reasonable to present!
If anybody out there has any ideas that i may use no matter how ridiculous, please post on this thread.

Many thanks in advance of what could prove to be a fiery topic!

NetLarfs.

scheming_gypsy

it's fun
you get there faster
everybody does it
you can annoy old people by screaming up their !!!!!! and overtake at the last minute.
you only life once so enjoy it
Speeding is only illegal if you get caught.
Speeding saves lives. If you were going slower you'd probably hit that person who just stepped out in front of you but as you were speeding you only nearly hit him.

Need_More_Money_2

Depends on speeding by how much?

There was some talk a few years ago about fining drivers for driving at only 1mph over the speed limit. My questions would be:

Is it safer for drivers to watch the road or be constantly watching the speedometer to check they aren't slightly over the speed limit? I think this applies even for more than 1mph over the limit
How accurate (and precise) are speedometers on cars.? There is no requirement to have them calibrated.
How accuractly (and how precisely) can the speed cameras measure your speed? No measurement is ever entirely accurate. Is this taken into account?

Might also be worth looking at the evidence from Germany where there are no speed restrictions on the motorways. Are there more accidents?

Setting sensible speed limits might mean better compliance. I know of many roads that have a 40mph speed limit that I think should be at least 60mph. Similarly, there are many roads with 30mph speed limits that should be 15 or 20mph. The most dangerous driving I've seen has been on these latter roads (in residential areas where children play) and yet these seem never to be targeted by speed cameras. If I'm cynical about it, I wonder if it is because there are fewer cars on these roads - therefore less revenue from fines.

How many accidents occur because of frustration due to speed limits being set too low?

Kazonline

Driving slowly makes me sleepy - fast keeps me alert?
Cars have better braking ability compared to when motorway speeds were decided?
A real toughie to be honest. While drivers that drive below the speed limit infuriate me (they aren't in accidents - they just leave a trail of devestation behind them) I also don't speed (except sometimes creep to 33 when concentration lapses in a 30 zone that should be a 40 ;-)

Hmm - one I would say is speeding on dual carriageways when the limit has been reduced because they are supposed to be working on it, but there are no workers, cones etc. I think that scenario makes people less respectfull of the speed limits. The others I put ... I don't really agree with them myself, so please, no one shout at me!!!
Good luck with your presentation!
Kaz x

tomstickland

How about, making a reasonable judgement that in some cases the law is an !!!. For example, large, wide roads with good visibility and near zero risks that have badly justified 30mph limits on them. Thinking of the A38 in Somerset, at 5am on a bright Sunday morning.

What's worse: doing a steady 95mph at 4am on a deserted motorway, or 45mph in a town centre at 11am on a Saturday?

Over simplification, ie: speed is equivalent to danger and therefore speed is all that matters. Rather than combination of alertness, planning, road conditions, weather conditions, driver training.

Either way, you can't really justify speed, but you can find numerous examples where speed is the only issue discussed rather than the morass of factors that are intertwined.

Seeing how dozy some people are, I wouldn't want to be walking on the pavement with them doing 30mph near me, and conversely I don't think I'm any more statistical risk doing 95mph on an empy dual cway than I am doing 75mph, in certain conditions.

There's some interesting data that shows that the safest drivers aren't the slowest - they actually are towards the faster end of the range, but not the fastest. Probably because they pay attention to what they're doing and make decisions, rather than drift along in a daydream.

Driver frustration is a very interesting area and if a more balanced approach could be developed, I believe that safety could be improved. For example, on safe sections, allow traffic to get on with it, but make sure that genuine hazards are suitably limited, but not stupidly so.

geo555

How about highlighting the safty advances of modern cars. Anti lock brakes and better tyres. Improved road surfaces and street lighting.

You can also look here for fact on accidents.
https://www.speed-trap.co.uk/Facts&Figures/Facts&Figures_Home.htm
You will note that "excessive speed" is a definate factor in 6% (SIX) of all accidents. And as the government always tells us that speeding motorist are at fault for all pedestrian deaths, the actual fact is that 84% of pedestrians are killed or seriously injured due to there own incompetence.
Speeding does not kill, inapproprate speed does. Driving at 110mph on an empty motorway will harm no one. Driving at 29.9mph on a foggy, icy morning outside a school might!

scatz

scheming_gypsy wrote:

it's fun
you get there faster
everybody does it
you can annoy old people by screaming up their !!!!!! and overtake at the last minute.
you only life once so enjoy it
Speeding is only illegal if you get caught.
Speeding saves lives. If you were going slower you'd probably hit that person who just stepped out in front of you but as you were speeding you only nearly hit him.

I agree in part. I myself am guilty of speeding, when the 'conditions' permit. I wouldn't consider speeding, say, through narrow lanes, town centres etc. though.

However, a word of caution. Two days ago a work colleague decided it was OK to do exactly that which you mention ("you can annoy old people by screaming up their !!!!!! and overtake at the last minute") in his works van and ended up 'clipping' a Harley Davidson coming the other way(which he hadn't seen coz' he was up the old persons !!!!!!). Unfortunately the motorcyclist died at the scene.

Cut a long story short;

1) He doesn't have a leg to stand on, therefore, will probably end up doing 'a stretch'.
2) He will loose his job and his pension, he's due to retire soon
3) He's ruined his and his families lives
4) He's ruined the motorcyclists childrens, wifes and other family members lives

For what?........"getting ther faster"!!!!!!!!

Really people....think about what you are doing on the roads, it only takes a split second of madness to **** everything up completly.

iceman_2

Accident rates are lower in Germany.

More likely to be fatal tho.

moonrakerz

geo555 wrote:

Driving at 29.9mph on a foggy, icy morning outside a school might!

You know of a school where you can do 29.9mph ? Round here you're lucky if you can do 2.99mph - the roads, and the pavements!, are blocked with Range Rovers, Shoguns etc, etc. I followed a Range Rover the other morning for all of 150yds before it turned back into its drive !

Wig

Depends wha you mean by "speeding"

do you mean justify why it is ok to break the law?

or

do you mean justify why the laws should be changed to increase the speed limits?

There's a big difference between the two IMHO

Lob_Rockster

My speedo under-reads so I go faster to compensate