Common sense from across the Pond
Discussion
An interesting article published on the Free Market Net website discusses the reality of speed limits and accident rates in the US: www.free-market.net/spotlight/speed/actions/
"According to a preliminary report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, "traffic fatality and injury rates remained at historic lows in 2001." This continues a downward trend in the highway fatality rate that extends back to at least 1988 -- the earliest year examined in the report.
This wasn't supposed to be the case, if you believed the doomsayers who forecast mayhem for the nation's highways when the national speed limit was eased and then dropped in 1995. In a typical expression of such sentiments, Jerry Johns of the Southwest Insurance Information Service told CNN that "roads won't handle speeds of 75 and 80 miles per hour." He and his colleagues predicted 6,400 additional deaths per year from speed-crazed maniacs unleashed by loosened restrictions."
The article sums up:
"But nobody has yet come up with a way to make speed limits effective, and as the latest data shows, it's just as well. Driving pretty much as fast as they please, Americans are reaching their destinations in as timely a fashion as ever. And they're making their journeys on swiftly moving roads that are safer by the year."
The Arizona Department of Transportation also comments:
"Generally speaking, traffic laws that reflect the behavior of the majority of vehicle operators are found to be successful, while laws that arbitrarily restrict the majority of drivers encourage wholesale violations, lack public support, and usually fail to bring about desirable changes in driving behavior. This is especially true of speed zoning."
Americans have clearly demonstrated that 55mph limits and excessive speed enforcement do absolutely nothing for effective road safety. It's a shame we do not take the same pragmatic thinking towards speeding and speed limits in this country. But I guess that's unlikely given the huge sums of money currently being made.
"According to a preliminary report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, "traffic fatality and injury rates remained at historic lows in 2001." This continues a downward trend in the highway fatality rate that extends back to at least 1988 -- the earliest year examined in the report.
This wasn't supposed to be the case, if you believed the doomsayers who forecast mayhem for the nation's highways when the national speed limit was eased and then dropped in 1995. In a typical expression of such sentiments, Jerry Johns of the Southwest Insurance Information Service told CNN that "roads won't handle speeds of 75 and 80 miles per hour." He and his colleagues predicted 6,400 additional deaths per year from speed-crazed maniacs unleashed by loosened restrictions."
The article sums up:
"But nobody has yet come up with a way to make speed limits effective, and as the latest data shows, it's just as well. Driving pretty much as fast as they please, Americans are reaching their destinations in as timely a fashion as ever. And they're making their journeys on swiftly moving roads that are safer by the year."
The Arizona Department of Transportation also comments:
"Generally speaking, traffic laws that reflect the behavior of the majority of vehicle operators are found to be successful, while laws that arbitrarily restrict the majority of drivers encourage wholesale violations, lack public support, and usually fail to bring about desirable changes in driving behavior. This is especially true of speed zoning."
Americans have clearly demonstrated that 55mph limits and excessive speed enforcement do absolutely nothing for effective road safety. It's a shame we do not take the same pragmatic thinking towards speeding and speed limits in this country. But I guess that's unlikely given the huge sums of money currently being made.
You said it. Money talks.. and we're all gonna pay, even if we don't get caught. Pay to buy the car, pay to run it, pay with time because a jealous government won't let you go about your everyday business at a decent speed.
Why, there I was out for a pleasnt afternoon pootle, and I found so many goddamn numtpy drivers doing 40 in a 60, and 40 when in the villages. Yet no plod???
Grrrr !
rgds.
Why, there I was out for a pleasnt afternoon pootle, and I found so many goddamn numtpy drivers doing 40 in a 60, and 40 when in the villages. Yet no plod???
Grrrr !
rgds.
Said it before and I'll say it again ......
This country is full of sheep: brain-dead, non-thinking sheep.
I do a cross country trip every weekend, Brum to Norfolk and back and there are some lovely long straight stretches of road, see for miles you can. So what happens - yep, "they" are all content to sit behind the caravan/tractor/lorry/lead-sheep at 40-45 with NOTHING coming the other way and won't overtake and wont leave a gap between themselves and the car in front. The number of times I've been able to get past in excess of 4 cars at a time is worrying...... adn the number of times they flash me as I go past is VERY worrying!
If these are the people that we are trying to build a strong economy with, God help us all........ where's me passport????
This country is full of sheep: brain-dead, non-thinking sheep.
I do a cross country trip every weekend, Brum to Norfolk and back and there are some lovely long straight stretches of road, see for miles you can. So what happens - yep, "they" are all content to sit behind the caravan/tractor/lorry/lead-sheep at 40-45 with NOTHING coming the other way and won't overtake and wont leave a gap between themselves and the car in front. The number of times I've been able to get past in excess of 4 cars at a time is worrying...... adn the number of times they flash me as I go past is VERY worrying!
If these are the people that we are trying to build a strong economy with, God help us all........ where's me passport????
Done that! and put this on the bottom......
"Can you comment on this, given the recent publicity concerning the increase in the number of revenue cameras on Staffordshires roads and the nonsensical prediliction of reducing NSL roads to 50 or 40 mph?
What are your views on increasing the limits on non-urban roads? I feel that, given that the average car speed on a motoroway/non-urban dual-carriageway is substanitally in excess of the stated limit, that there is a mature and sensible case to be answered for increasing these limits, whilst maintaining (and possibly even lowering in some cases) the limits in urban areas.
I would appreciate your answers and stance on this, and would not expect the usual 'speed kills' mantra that is being pushed by the ill-informed media. It is well documented that only 6% of accidents can be directly attibuted to excessive speed, so the current 'spin' taking this to 30% or higher deserves to be knocked down and shown for the lie that it is.
Considering the year on year increases that we have in this country in average mileage, the fact that the number of casulaties (although individually regrettable) has remained constant and is in fact reducing as a percentage of passenger miles travelled, I feel that we are long overdue a review of road policy in this country."
lets see if I get a response...........
"Can you comment on this, given the recent publicity concerning the increase in the number of revenue cameras on Staffordshires roads and the nonsensical prediliction of reducing NSL roads to 50 or 40 mph?
What are your views on increasing the limits on non-urban roads? I feel that, given that the average car speed on a motoroway/non-urban dual-carriageway is substanitally in excess of the stated limit, that there is a mature and sensible case to be answered for increasing these limits, whilst maintaining (and possibly even lowering in some cases) the limits in urban areas.
I would appreciate your answers and stance on this, and would not expect the usual 'speed kills' mantra that is being pushed by the ill-informed media. It is well documented that only 6% of accidents can be directly attibuted to excessive speed, so the current 'spin' taking this to 30% or higher deserves to be knocked down and shown for the lie that it is.
Considering the year on year increases that we have in this country in average mileage, the fact that the number of casulaties (although individually regrettable) has remained constant and is in fact reducing as a percentage of passenger miles travelled, I feel that we are long overdue a review of road policy in this country."
lets see if I get a response...........
Well....
...all that glitters is not gold.
First off, let me say that I am all in favor of personal responsibility regarding speed limits and I in no way, shape, fashion or form condone the intrusion of government into one's personal life especially regarding limiting our ability to persue life and liberty, as fast as we want to.
However,
1. One of the reasons that fatalities are down are because of the federally mandated air bags and the plethora of other safety equipment that currently take up mass space and contribute to the heaviness of many american cars. (Side impact beams et al).
2. Most states in the US enforce seat belt laws with the enthusiasm of the SS. It gives another reason for them to pull you over. In some states (Florida included) they also ticket passengers for no safety belts).
So fatalities are down but I don't know if the extra safety measures would be readily accepted by the motoring public should the UK follow suit.
...If the public would be willing to accept these measures, however, it could have a two fold positive benefit...
1. The UK could then relax speed limits somewhat and...
2. Because of the legislation of safety equipment, it could aid the UK's auto industry when attempting to import cars into the US for sale.
All of this IMHO
ErnestM
...all that glitters is not gold.
First off, let me say that I am all in favor of personal responsibility regarding speed limits and I in no way, shape, fashion or form condone the intrusion of government into one's personal life especially regarding limiting our ability to persue life and liberty, as fast as we want to.
However,
1. One of the reasons that fatalities are down are because of the federally mandated air bags and the plethora of other safety equipment that currently take up mass space and contribute to the heaviness of many american cars. (Side impact beams et al).
2. Most states in the US enforce seat belt laws with the enthusiasm of the SS. It gives another reason for them to pull you over. In some states (Florida included) they also ticket passengers for no safety belts).
So fatalities are down but I don't know if the extra safety measures would be readily accepted by the motoring public should the UK follow suit.
...If the public would be willing to accept these measures, however, it could have a two fold positive benefit...
1. The UK could then relax speed limits somewhat and...
2. Because of the legislation of safety equipment, it could aid the UK's auto industry when attempting to import cars into the US for sale.
All of this IMHO
ErnestM
quote:
1. One of the reasons that fatalities are down are because of the federally mandated air bags and the plethora of other safety equipment that currently take up mass space and contribute to the heaviness of many american cars. (Side impact beams et al).
Not a specifeid requirement here but there are a range of safety criteria that a car must meet, essentially around avoiding injury/death to occupants at crash speed up to XX mph.
quote:
2. Most states in the US enforce seat belt laws with the enthusiasm of the SS. It gives another reason for them to pull you over. In some states (Florida included) they also ticket passengers for no safety belts).
Here too and for a good number of years. Back seat passengers too. Driver gets a ticket if they're children and not belted in, passenger gets it if adult.
quote:
1. The UK could then relax speed limits somewhat and...
Fat f**king chance
quote:
2. Because of the legislation of safety equipment, it could aid the UK's auto industry when attempting to import cars into the US for sale.
What auto industry?
quote:
Said it before and I'll say it again ......
This country is full of sheep: brain-dead, non-thinking sheep.
I do a cross country trip every weekend, Brum to Norfolk and back and there are some lovely long straight stretches of road, see for miles you can. So what happens - yep, "they" are all content to sit behind the caravan/tractor/lorry/lead-sheep at 40-45 with NOTHING coming the other way and won't overtake and wont leave a gap between themselves and the car in front. The number of times I've been able to get past in excess of 4 cars at a time is worrying...... adn the number of times they flash me as I go past is VERY worrying!
If these are the people that we are trying to build a strong economy with, God help us all........ where's me passport????
You're talking about the Fens aren't you? I used to do that journey many a time aswell.
I remember once when I had my Elise I pulled out to overtake on that really really long straight (there's a MacD's on it) and I'm not kidding - I must of overtaken about 50 cars in one go. There just wasn't anything coming the otherway for ages - I couldn't believe it, so I just kept going - it got quite surreal after sometime, coz I was still on the wrong side of the road doing about 70 mph and everyone else just being left behind at about 40.....
quote:
You're talking about the Fens aren't you? I used to do that journey many a time aswell.
I remember once when I had my Elise I pulled out to overtake on that really really long straight (there's a MacD's on it) and I'm not kidding - I must of overtaken about 50 cars in one go. There just wasn't anything coming the otherway for ages - I couldn't believe it, so I just kept going - it got quite surreal after sometime, coz I was still on the wrong side of the road doing about 70 mph and everyone else just being left behind at about 40.....
Thats the one - only thing is now there's a tax camera by the MacD's...
I'm surprised you managed to stay at 70 - I usually end up a wee bit quicker than that....
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