Forum Discussion
JaxDad wrote:
drsteve wrote:
Sorry, but there's no morality in people driving like they're in a NASCAR race while I and my family are sharing the road with them. Excessive speed is always a hazard, that's the meaning of the word "excessive". If you think people are going to drive at a safe and reasonable speed without enforcement, then you've been living in a cave.
So if someone driving 15 or 20 mph over the speed limit is acting immorally and putting lives at risk, then States like California where there are 70 mph speed limits for passenger vehicles, but 55mph for trucks, or M/H’s doing 55 - 60 mph in amongst vehicles traveling much faster is inherently very dangerous?
AS long as those slower moving vehicles are in the right lane it's OK.
The problems start when they are traveling slow in the left lane:Sdrsteve wrote:
Sorry, but there's no morality in people driving like they're in a NASCAR race while I and my family are sharing the road with them. Excessive speed is always a hazard, that's the meaning of the word "excessive". If you think people are going to drive at a safe and reasonable speed without enforcement, then you've been living in a cave.
So if someone driving 15 or 20 mph over the speed limit is acting immorally and putting lives at risk, then States like California where there are 70 mph speed limits for passenger vehicles, but 55mph for trucks, or M/H’s doing 55 - 60 mph in amongst vehicles traveling much faster is inherently very dangerous?wnjj wrote:
drsteve wrote:
Sorry, but there's no morality in people driving like they're in a NASCAR race while I and my family are sharing the road with them. Excessive speed is always a hazard, that's the meaning of the word "excessive". If you think people are going to drive at a safe and reasonable speed without enforcement, then you've been living in a cave.
While I totally agree with what you've written, the devil is in the details and above the posted or "legal" limit does not always equal "excessive" as you have defined it. There is somewhere between a little and large spread depending upon many other factors.
I agree that there's a difference between a little and a lot. The comment I was replying to asserts that speed limits are immoral, and that people should be allowed to decide how fast to drive, except in a few areas.
I did edit the quoted portion (he did ramble a bit) perhaps I should have left the entire comment.drsteve wrote:
Sorry, but there's no morality in people driving like they're in a NASCAR race while I and my family are sharing the road with them. Excessive speed is always a hazard, that's the meaning of the word "excessive". If you think people are going to drive at a safe and reasonable speed without enforcement, then you've been living in a cave.
While I totally agree with what you've written, the devil is in the details and above the posted or "legal" limit does not always equal "excessive" as you have defined it. There is somewhere between a little and large spread depending upon many other factors.down home wrote:
Until 1955 there were no speed limits outside incorporated areas.
Connecticut enacted the first statewide speed limit in 1901. By 1930 the majority of states had followed suit.
Remember I can't drive 55? If you went 70 which was 15 mph over but 5 mph less than the moth before you were charged with reckless driving and stiffer fine and 3 points on your record.
Tickets for exceeding the 55mph limit carried no points. Trust me on this.
I always though there should be a picture of Joe Stalin and the hammer and sickle with it too.
I don't think you know much about Joe Stalin.
I rambled around a good bit here but point is there is no morality in speed limits and fining to force conformity. Only in areas where excessive speed is a hazard and idiots refuse to dr4ive reasonable and prudent speeds and school zones Schools have no business being built on noisy major throughways.
Sorry, but there's no morality in people driving like they're in a NASCAR race while I and my family are sharing the road with them. Excessive speed is always a hazard, that's the meaning of the word "excessive". If you think people are going to drive at a safe and reasonable speed without enforcement, then you've been living in a cave.Cloud Dancer wrote:
JaxDad wrote:
pnichols wrote:
Cloud Dancer wrote:
According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) statistics, road deaths per 1 billion vehicle-kilometres looks like this;
United States - 7.3
Canada - 5.1
Germany - 4.2
So it appears that for a country that so flippantly thumbs its nose at risking life & limb, they have almost half (43%) the traffic fatalities that the US does.
Maybe it’s because they’re vastly better drivers in Europe?
Yep ... leave it up to those lower highway vehicle densities to slash road deaths per 1 billion vehicles ... or is it the higher Canadian and German driver IQ averages that somehow allow drivers there to violate the laws of vehicle physics for awhile?
Isn't there a saying that goes something like this?: "Some drivers can speed all of the time, and all drivers can speed some of the time, but all drivers can't speed all of the time.” :h
Ummmm...... you DO know that a) WAY more people are killed OFF highway, than on, and, b) that the statistic quoted was per ‘billion vehicle x kilometres’ which equalizes all of that anyways?
Did someone put my name on the above statistics? How do you do that? Anyway, I did NOT post these statistics. But, it was me who posted my opinion regarding the IQ of the average driver in Germany vs the IQ of the average driver in the USA. AND, now I have learned that Germany's requirements for obtaining, and retaining, a driver's license is quite different than ours.
Yes, someone flubbed when they ‘snipped’ a quote and attributed my comments to you.JaxDad wrote:
pnichols wrote:
Cloud Dancer wrote:
According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) statistics, road deaths per 1 billion vehicle-kilometres looks like this;
United States - 7.3
Canada - 5.1
Germany - 4.2
So it appears that for a country that so flippantly thumbs its nose at risking life & limb, they have almost half (43%) the traffic fatalities that the US does.
Maybe it’s because they’re vastly better drivers in Europe?
Yep ... leave it up to those lower highway vehicle densities to slash road deaths per 1 billion vehicles ... or is it the higher Canadian and German driver IQ averages that somehow allow drivers there to violate the laws of vehicle physics for awhile?
Isn't there a saying that goes something like this?: "Some drivers can speed all of the time, and all drivers can speed some of the time, but all drivers can't speed all of the time.” :h
Ummmm...... you DO know that a) WAY more people are killed OFF highway, than on, and, b) that the statistic quoted was per ‘billion vehicle x kilometres’ which equalizes all of that anyways?
Did someone put my name on the above statistics? How do you do that? Anyway, I did NOT post these statistics. But, it was me who posted my opinion regarding the IQ of the average driver in Germany vs the IQ of the average driver in the USA. AND, now I have learned that Germany's requirements for obtaining, and retaining, a driver's license is quite different than ours.I can never drive faster than the car in front of me or as is the case today the roadblock of semi
Which brings us back to the topic about legal issues of driving along in the left lane.
Todays rolling passing lane road blocks out on rural highways come mostly from truckers who pull out to pass.
We make three 1230 mile trips a year on I-40 or I-70 or I-80 to Utah. It gets frustrating trying to make time on a posted 70-75 mph interstate and hung up behind the same company trucks I mentioned above for mile after mile on flat terrain doing 63 mph.- Until 1955 there were no speed limits outside incorporated areas.
The porch sitters said that people drove too fast fast and there ought to be a law again it. So they made the speed limits 65 on roads and highways. The State set the speed limits everywhere including towns. They wanted to make it 75, I think but a few type from some town and principally Knoxville said let's make it 80% of what most people drive. Essentially it was about revenue generation. In most towns even in the seventies the fine was 2.00. Counties and Towns got the Legislature to allow them to add on court Cost etc even though no one went to Court for a 2.00 fine for speeding. I don't remember what the fine is right now but it is low. Court costs etc make it about 125.00.
It was and still is used for walnut paneling,fine leather chairs and so in the Judge chambers and for things like parties. I can site if necessary but don't ask me to. The State has reigned in some of this. Interstate speed limit was 75 when it cam along. The proposed 100mph limit the design of the Interstates was never seriously considered. Then Gerald Ford made the National Speed limit 55.
Remember I can't drive 55? If you went 70 which was 15 mph over but 5 mph less than the moth before you were charged with reckless driving and stiffer fine and 3 points on your record. The Insurance Industry was partially or all responsible.
They jacked up your insurance rates a lot for driving 5 mph less or ore than the old speed limit.
And out west well...so on and on.
There is no magic in speed limit numbers or morality.
We could make the speed limit 45 and stop all wrecks above 45 and all wrecks below 45 if there was.
There are signs in Ontario that say Safety through Enforcement. I always though there should be a picture of Joe Stalin and the hammer and sickle with it too.
It is nigh impossible to drive 80kph on some Canadian hwys which is arrow straight, and no traffic to speak of or use there wasn't without dozing off. I bet there are many who drive off the road. And 25 kph and and a cop waiting for you to go 2mph over in many places. I think I could run faster than that.
Same here out west on I40, you can see the San Francisco Range but it never get any closer, it seems, On big curve in the road is all I remember. I wonder how many drive strait at that curve into the sand.
Typical speeds on Interstates, somewhere, average 90mph or better. Cops drive even faster except when someone complains and there is still a 55mph speed limit where it use to be 75 on Monteagle.
I rambled around a good bit here but point is there is no morality in speed limits and fining to force conformity. Only in areas where excessive speed is a hazard and idiots refuse to dr4ive reasonable and prudent speeds and school zones Schools have no business being built on noisy major throughways.
I can never drive faster than the car in front of me or as is the case today the roadblock of semis. - Perhaps speeding ticket fine size - no matter what criteria the fine is based on - isn't the best/ultimate control method.
Some of us studied just enough physics and mechanics so that we realize what can happen to ourselves and others around us due to some obscure mechanical or electrical vehicle part failing - when one is on a speed-freak-high driving their toy (or RV).
For instance, I've had a whole wheel come off my sports car when driving it ... and it had nothing to do with "improper maintenance". :S
