You think you have it bad? Try riding a motorbike on the roads. My last bike was a 125cc vintage scooter (always fancied myself as a bit of a mod), and it's now sat in the garage, collecting dust because of too many close calls with stupid drivers. As I mentioned earlier, I was clipped a few years ago by a driver who was overtaking me, I was lucky but the bike I had then was a write off. I bought a new bike, but there were two close calls that made me hang up my helmet for good. It's not worth the risk now. A lot of drivers (and bike riders) see the road as some sort of playground, where they can define their own rules, and basically ignore everyone and everything around them. That's their choice, but when it makes the roads more dangerous for everyone else, then they shouldn't be allowed to have that choice. I also think raising the legal age at which someone can drive would be good, unpopular I know but there are just too many immature kids behind the wheel, who don't take the risks seriously.
If you read the data in that link you have sent, table 4a, exceeding the speed limit is down as 5% factor in all accidents so fairly small in reality, travelling to close and too fast for conditions account for far more accidents as a percentage, and whilt that sort of thing is wrapped up with speeding, its not really something a speed limit can fix, its a driver education issue, I see no problem with exceeding a speed limit personally, some questionable limits having been put in place on some roads I drive along over the years, as well as lowering of limits and dodgy placements of cameras to capitalise on the changes. On the subject on the UK ads and stats this just popped up this morning http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=22494
I've never been stuck behind a lorry driver of any sort while they are doing 40 in a 50 or 60 single carriageway. They are always doing 50-60. Interesting you pointed that speed restriction out because I would never have known, due to, like I said, having no evidence personally of seeing them do this. The main B road near me is a 40 restriction and I'm always seeing tippers, HGVs and transporters thundering down it at 50+. Before and after the 40 restriction is a 60 for cars, and as you pointed out, a 40 for vehicles over 7.5 tonne, however they ALWAYS do no less than 60.
For me, just reading this thread has lead me to my own conclusion. Too many people feel they are above the rules and are more concerned about getting from A to B than getting from A to B in one piece, for those, they deserve whatever befalls them.
I AM in the top 1-2% of drivers. I can't prove it to you. I don't care to either. But I do know that I am an awesome and a very safe and aware driver. I drive fast but I also drive very cautiously.
1. Brainless old people who hog the middle lane, whilst the nearside lane is empty... 2. Speeding motorcyclists cutting corners, thus trying to head-butt my windscreen... 3. 70 mph is "THE LIMIT" types in the off-side lane... 4. Boy-racers in a Golf/Skoda/Audi who expect my car to be a "target" for a race, ( I do track-days for BIG fun )... 5. Enforced 30 mph limits, near me a section was chopped to 30 mph because of an RTA, the police used a stinger on a drug-dealer and he swerved onto the grass verge trying to avoid the police "T pack" and crashed into a lamp-post ( Round of applause please ! ). No seat belt so it counts as an injury accident. If you are tail-gated slow down as suggested by the Highway Code. dunx P.S. Professional mini-bus driver, save the "fun" for the circuit...
The one thing that I found when arguing about speeding etc especially on motorways is when peoples speedo's read differently. My example: Going down the M5 at 80mph as a passenger and glancing over to a Citroen C4 who's speedo reads out at 72mph. I think there's something kicking around that states a speedo can be out as much as 10%.
LOL I'd love to know how you measured this. Enough said. Unless you are fully aware of every single hazard, everywhere.. even the ones you can't see, then driving fast does nothing but massively increase the chances of killing whatever you hit. And hit something you will one day, as it's not always your fault. You need to grow up a little behind the wheel I think. Anyone who drives fast on public roads is by default a crap ROAD driver. Save speed for the track. It has no place on public roads. It's people like you that make me pay more for insurance. ...and please don;t say that you've not had a crash yet, because it's just a matter of time.
I agree with all of that. There are a lot of idiots out there that don't respect the current conditions of the road. What I was referencing when I made the statement was normal, dry, daytime driving conditions on interstates. For example, the beltway around the town I used to live in had 6 lanes and a posted speed limit of 55. The left 2 lanes people usually went ~70, middle 2, ~65, and the right 2 were for people exiting or slower cars that were going between 50-60. Sometimes you would get some yahoo going 55 in the fastest left 2 lanes. This is just stupid and can cause accidents.
I agree with those who say speeding isn't the biggest danger. A few points 1 - It is highly dependent on the road. Speaking from a US perspective, there are lots of roads where the speed limit is reasonable. Roads through crowded areas, roads through residential areas, roads with lots of bike and pedestrian traffic. There are also lots of roads where the speed limit is ridiculously slow, as a result of the government trying to mandate improved fuel economy. I'm looking at you, Eisenhower interstate system. Imagine this - there's a wide, flat, straight road. Eight lanes of traffic with a concrete divider in the middle. There are no traffic lights, no pedestrians/equestrians/cyclists, and nothing along the side of the road. There are exit ramps, but they are at least five miles apart, and give you a lane to slow down or speed up in. And the speed limit is 55mph (that's like 88kmph for you metric folks). Generally, the 'flow of traffic' on those roads is about 70mph, because the limit was set almost half a century ago, solely for the purpose of regulating fuel economy. But, every once in awhile, you come across some idiot who won't go above 55mph, and they're like a boulder in the middle of a river, because everyone else has to pass them. On the American interstate system, cars that are going the speed limit when the 'flow of traffic' is higher than the speed limit are far more of a danger than those who are speeding slightly. I've been in situations where a cluster of cars is all doing 70 in a 55, safe following distance, and everything's peachy, then we come up behind a car doing 55 in the middle lane, and suddenly everyone is trying to get around them in an unsafe manner. Speeding is situational. There are plenty of situations where it doesn't put others at risk, mainly when everyone else is going the same speed. The road is much safer if everyone is going 70 than if some are going 55 and some are going 70 and they're trying to get around each other. Of course, there are plenty more situations where it is dangerous. Residential areas, near schools, in places with a lot of storefronts or biker/pedestrian traffic, or during bad weather. But, the biggest danger is people who are inattentive drivers. I'd much rather drive with someone in a sports car who is paying attention to the road and driving 30mph over the speed limit than drive with someone in a poorly-maintained vehicle who is eating and talking on a cell phone while going the speed limit. Or aggressive drivers, who weave in and out of traffic, changing lanes without looking.
I think you highly underestimate the width of highways in north america. There is no difference whatsoever between 100kph and 120kpĥ while driving on those roads. They're just so large and straight that you can't miss anything. Also, as I said on the first page, +20kph is not high speed driving. They're actually so boring ,that I find it more dangerous to drive at 100kph on cruise control because I tend to look around instead of in front of me. Many of you said it was the impression of safety that made us "speed maniacs" dangerous. Well I say the same can be applied to those who think they don't need to pay attention because they drive the speed limit. Kudos to dega for not being an hypocrite (I'm obviously not aiming at anyone by saying that. I may be quoting you pookey, but I <3 you)
I can say somewhat confidently there is a 20kph difference. Wait, unless the rules of mathematics do not apply either?
If he only drives fast on highways, then that's a different matter entirely, but I seriously doubt he does all his "fast" driving on highways. We have large highways here as well you know As for being a hypocrite, I don't drive fast on public roads. Like you, and dega, I do break speed limits of "highways", and will often to 80 or even 90 on a motorway, but only when I can safely maintain that speed, and certainly only when I can maintain distances appropriate to that speed. Anywhere there are houses, people, dogs, cats, children, and other road users, I will be sticking to the limit. Anyone who thinks they are awesome, is probably not, and IMO is probably dangerous. ....and I love you too
He drives a big Cadillac so yeah, all his speeding is on the highway I've done my share of high speed driving in rural areas and yes, it is stupid, but argg... it's fun. I have done it, but it's not something I did often because I do get scared for my safety and everyone else's. (unlike my brother tbh) (see how honest I am?) I would love to take it to the track but unfortunately I have to wait until I can afford an NSX. Until then, I just can't Sometimes I wish people would just disappear. To have the roads to myself would be awesome
I've nearly died when a women pulled out on me, then my bike went into wobble mode and missed the curb by about a inch, She pulled over and burst out crying, The 2 wonnabe gangsters in the back got out and ran towards me, I removed my helmet, and started kicking off and they retreated back to the car, I did notice their was a baby in the back, I was in shock as it was without 2 nimwits wanting to start trouble, I wasn't even speeding, The women nearly killed me, and possibly the people in the back. Then again i was driving along with a few biker friends on our 125's just having a little trip, exc, 2 of my friends wore bright yellow safety jackets and was in front, A car pulling out of a driveway just missed me, which would of done a bit of damage, I was in the town center in plymouth when my hand slipped and i went though the back window of a police van... was their for 3 hours, Only had a few cuts to my hand. Apart from that, yeah everyone on the roads freaking noodys
One of the most common things where I live are these stupid kids that have just passed their test and mummy and daddy buys them a nice new car so they go racing around the extremely narrow dangerous mountain roads and end up killing all their friends that went with them. How the f**k they live them self's I dont know but they seem to manage .
I drive pretty sensibly with passengers. I don't often have them, so I don't really know how the car behaves when it's full of them (also, I want people to have a choice when they're in my death cage. When I get a more satis. car and am into the trackday malarkey, I'll ask friends if they want a ride on the track, quickly...). The one time my car was loaded to the top (me driving, 4 passengers, Vauxhall Corsa 1.2)... it took about a month to climb out from the magic roundabout in Hemel. 4th gear was too high... ok, time for 3rd. That was too high... 2nd it is! Foot to the floor, barely able to do 30.
I'm going to be taking my UK driving test in the next couple of weeks. While the instruction covers the basics of driving quite well, it never illustrates the consequences of pushing the limits - it just says don't do it. I've had more driving experience than most my age (20) because i live in the middle of nowhere with a very long dirt track and started driving old bangers off-road as soon as i could floor the clutch. (since i was 11/12 iirc). It allowed me to find the limits of the car offroad. I've driven way too fast. I have lost the back around corners. I've spun the car. I've driven too fast on ice and nearly gone into a river (really shook me up that one). Trying handbrake turns and J-turns in a wet concrete farmyard was fun too. All a bit immature, but nobody can deny it isnt good fun. It gave me a good idea of what the car was capable of, and good reason to stay within its limits. Of course, off road is completely different to on road driving, and I am constantly surprised by how much grip you get on road, but i'm incredibly wary of trying to push the limits, as I know just how suddenly you hit them, and go from gripping around a corner, to facing the wrong direction. I've been in cars with friends who have just passed their test and think that squealing rear tyres around a corner is a great laugh. I know that it wouldn't be feasible to for learners to find the cars limits on tarmac as i have on dirt, but I think that if they'd had just one or two goes on a skid patch, just going round corners that would normally be fine at 40mph, and spinning the car, they would be much less likely to push the limits on public roads. Cars just feel way too safe when driving them on road, especially with an instructor in the passenger seat, in a brand new, perfect car. I think for most people, its not until you push the car too far and feel it sliding out of control that you realise that there are real consequences for speed, and your not in this safe little box after all. (ofc this is ignoring the threat to other road users/pedestrians). I'm not saying i think i'm a good driver... i certainly think i'm safer than some of my mates, but compared with most more experienced drivers, I imagine i'm a bit of a hazard. edit. oops. that wasnt supposed to be a long post...
Ooooh a car thread! Camp A: Stick to the 'speed limits', say they're really cautious and courteous. Camp A reality: Slower than the speed limit most of the time, accelerate extremely slowly, use lanes incorrectly, rarely indicated, largely oblivious to the outside world, join motorways at extremely dangerous speeds (far too slow, causing cars in lane 1 to brake, a major factor in accidents and traffic jams involving no incidents). Just as likely to cause an accident as camp B, but won't be directly involved (ie. their car will be untouched) Camp B: Drive fast, but within the limits of the road. Complain about slow drivers, and how speed limits are irrelevent. Camp B reality: Reckless, reckless drivers. Will lose it on a corner one day. Tailgates everyone, will probably have a near-miss or crash into the back of someone. Most likely to be involved in a *serious* accident. Camp C + Reality: Not bothering with the thread. Largely good drivers, with only minor faults that don't really matter. On a somewhat related note, the speeding message is utterly inaccurate. It's already been mentioned that very few accidents have speed as a contributing factor. But the worst bit, is the justification for reducing speed: If you hit someone at X mph, they'll die. At Y mph they'll live. Aside from the fact it depends on the age/build/height/car/angle/distance from hospital/availability of air ambulance, where do you draw the line? Do you drop to 20mph everywhere? There will still be fatalities, so why not drop to 10mph? Some people still die / get crippled. What about 0mph? There we go, gone to the extreme and now everyone is walking everywhere. At a certain point dropping the speed limit stops reducing fatalities, we hit that point years back and now the gov is panicing that they can't keep the constant downward count anymore. The fact is if speed in and of itself immediately caused accidents, then the german autobahns (de-restricted sections) would be littered with smashed cars and dead bodies. Of course 'speed' is easier to measure than 'total berk behind the wheel'.
