Quote:
Originally Posted by PersonOfInterest
Why speeding and not the many other hazardous driving situations in the villages? Left Turns from the Cart lane, Yielding right of way, Driving too Slow, stopping in a round about, and dozens of other forms of poor driving. Why is speed always singled out as the top driving offense? Many of those driving above the speed limit may be more competent in their driving skills than those driving with poor skills and slower reaction times. And while we're on this subject, how many drivers are on the roads and cart paths who are over the legal limit for Alcohol consumption?
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Can’t argue with most of that. A lot of sins besides speeding are being committed here in TV and, for the most part, going unpunished.
But speeding is A, if not THE, major contributing factor to the severity of damage to humans and to structures/vehicles, etc., in accidents. I cannot remember the exact calculation but weight X speed squared = force, or something like that. It stands to reason. A group of vehicles going down a road all at approximately the same speed leads to situations where anything that might happen is predictable. But introduce an unstable, unpredictable element to that and you can have the makings of a very bad situation. The speeder MAY indeed be the best driver in that group of vehicles but if he/she begins weaving in and out of the vehicles, that is an unstable element because the other drivers may not react predictably. My wife is a good example. She loves to go fast. If I mention it to her, her reaction is “I’m probably the best driver here”. And that is probably true, but the reality of the situation is that even if true, it means that the OTHER drivers have to be equally good so that safety is maintained, and they’re obviously not.
This, from the NFC: ‘Speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths and injuries. The role of speeding in crashes is described in terms of its effect on the driver, the vehicle, and the road. Excessive speeding reduces the amount of time the driver has to react in a dangerous situation to avoid a crash, increases vehicle stopping distance, and reduces the ability of road safety structures (such as guardrails, impact attenuators, crash cushions, median dividers, and concrete barriers) to protect vehicle occupants in a crash.
Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2020, killing 11,258, or an average of over 30 people per day. The total number of fatal motor-vehicle crashes attributable to speeding was 10,136. A crash is considered speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense or if racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was indicated as a contributing factor in the crash.”
Those speed limit signs are not merely suggestions. They’re there for a reason. Slow down and help the other drivers out there be safe too.