i dont like your choice of words...
The righteous and the reckless
By: Brent Kreud
Date: Thursday, 16. November 2006
On the phone-in show the topic is speeding. There's a cop on the panel, and also a former cop who has a business getting people off the hook when they're caught.
The guy on the phone says he "never speeds." It turns out that's not quite true. He has his own definition of speeding. He just doesn't like it when he's in the middle lane on a three-lane highway, doing what he feels is a reasonable speed (just a little over the limit) and he's being pressured to go faster by traffic around him.
Now the cop on the panel is in an awkward position. He probably wants to tell the guy on the phone he should go with the flow, even if that means a bit more over the speed limit than he wants to, but that's a difficult area for a cop to get into.
The cop hems and haws a bit and then allows that the speed of traffic is the safest speed. The guy on the phone wants more enforcement. The cop says they're too busy investigating the crashes that result from too much speeding.
Next on the line is a lady who wants strict enforcement everywhere by photo radar camera. Now there's a hot potato of a topic. It's hard to explain to someone with an authoritarian streak that life doesn't work like that. There's always give and take in the law. There's always a gray area that's open to discretion.
Total enforcement of rules will bring any system down. On the other hand, if enforcement gets too slack you can get "behavioral sink." Drivers make up their own rules and the most reckless drag others down to their own level.
The callers have the usual gripes: more enforcement, slower traffic keep right, driving slower than the speed of traffic in the fast lane, and so on. The common denominator is that there doesn't seem to be a common denominator--lots of points of view, but no firm ground. Drivers are confused about what's expected of them and what they should expect.
As the phone-in show progressed there was also a hint of another problem. A little leeway in enforcing the law may lubricate the flow of traffic and make life easier on the roads, but if there's too much of a gap between laws and reality the whole system begins to come apart at the seams.
- Informal vs. formal traffic laws
- Is tough enforcement the best way to improve traffic safety?
- External controls for speeding drivers?
- Drivers.com on speeding
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All Comments (15)
Showing 1 - 15 comments
Andria,
Jim C.,
Safety concerns notwithstanding, the amount of fuel wasted by speeding should be taken a lot more seriously, especially with looming global peak oil production (see Kuwait's 2014 projection). AGW concerns are also a big reason to burn less fuel, despite the know-nothing mentality of those who deny it.
The 55 MPH limit isn't pragmatic, but most people would be driving no faster than 70 if they respected the finite nature of oil, and how hard it's becoming to keep up with demand. We are drilling in risky deep water because the easier supplies have been tapped already.
Many Americans have an entitlement mentality and ignore the fact that we have less than 3% of world reserves for conventional crude oil.
There is a selfish attitude among right-wingers that limits are bogus for oil supplies and driving speeds; that we can just keep drilling and flooring the pedal forever.
Barb,
Speeding is very foolish, there is no
need to speed what so ever, speeding
could kill someone or yourself as well,
patience is a virgew, and your disobeying the law. There is a reason why there are speed limits, it saves lives, can you imagine if there were no
speed limits, thousands of people would
be killed.
donjuan,
people have a right to speed if they want, it's there problem if they left late and need to get there quickly, just get out of the way and go on about your business! all of you who let people who speed get to you, find a life and something better to get mad about :)
mike mike,
all of u are very stupid what a bunch of losers lol supa funny
Joe,
speeding's fine as long as you dont endanger other
Pat,
Speeding is my right, just as others think that going slow in the left lane is theirs
Demon,
SPEEDING ROCKS, out my way bitches
Lil,
here a cool website
whinningliberals.com
Ex-Speeder,
On a six lane (3 each way) highway, who cares about speed - they can handle cars going 200-250kmh easily as I learned during my days in Germany. If people keep right, don't tailgate and don't pass on the right, the traffic will move nice and smoothly.
Nothing is more annoying then those in the middle lane doing 105kmh in a 100km zone - its a passing lane too (at least in Canada).
When I drove 140kmh everywhere, they were damn annoying ... as I sat in the left passing everyone ... and now that I'm driving 110kmh because I'm scared as hell of getting one more speeding ticket ... they annoy me even more.
Driving slow sucks, I'm going to fall asleep and crash someday soon.
Kenny,
The cops should concentrate on drivers going much faster than the traffic around them for example doing 80 mph when traff in next lane is only 60, or even doing 40 mph when the next lane is only 20. Its the difference in speed that causes the most problems
Irv,
Actually isn't the farthest lane to the left usually the "passing" lane. Since when did people become convinced it was the fast lane? And God forbid that I need to pass someone doing 125kph, while I'm going 135kph and someone doing 145kph (usually in a vehicle with a high center of gravity, piss-poor traction and crackberry user at the wheel) decides to tailgate until I complete my maneuver.
One day, my rented car is going to have to stop suddenly to avoid that "squirrel" in the road.
Tim,
I agree. We should stop speeding, by increasing the maximum speed limmit. 55 cmon we are not driving UGO's.
If you are not a cop do not try to inforce the speed limmit. If I'm doing 80 and your in the fast lane doing 55 I have to find a way around you. And your making people manuver unnecessarely. Please move out of the way in to the slow lane where defencive drivers belong.
P.S. If your driving on a two lane road(slowly) next to another(slow)car. please move to the right lane and ither follow or lead the other car. If not you may experience such things as honking, tailgating, inapropriate gestures and language, as well as physical treats or injury(Not from me I'm peacefull).
Jeremy,
Speeding is bad. The worthless police forces we have in the U.S. aren't doing a very good job when thye don't set a very good example for the younger people. QUIT BREAKING THE LAW. SPEEDERS NEED TO BE STOPPED Forever and make the roads safe.
Benny,
To OK and Joe
Using all caps while writing a message is like shouting in a conversation. I suggest you both click on the link above "formal Vs Informal rules." You will learn something about speeding!
