this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024
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You understand most of those accidents weren't due to someone speeding...they were due to someone causing a dramatic change in speed.
Oh. Like the people who just ram right into people because they were too busy going too fast to be able to properly control their vehicle...? Yeah, no shit.
Most accidents I see are from dumb fucks trying to merge into a fast moving lane from a dead stop because they were tailgating the guy in front of them too much and instead of waiting til they had enough speed to match the lane they were going into they just cut them off instead.
Right. So, if you’re going a reasonable speed, say, the posted speed limit of 70, you will be able to mitigate as much carnage as possible even when that person was doing something pretty dumb, because you will be able to slow down quicker and you’ll be able to keep control of the vehicle.
Even doing the speed limit won't save you if someone swerves into your lane from a dead stop 200 feet in front of you. By your logic everyone should be going 15mph everywhere so we don't get hurt.
No, no.
By my logic, you should paying attention to your speed, because the speed limit is posted at 70. The benefits that come with going 70 and not 90+ are that you will be able to mitigate as much damage as possible, while on the interstate going the posted speed limit, by being able to either slow down quicker or react in a manner that allow you to prevent as much damage as possible.
Is that more clear for you?
Going 60 would mitigate even more damage, 50 even more, 40 even more, and so on until we might as well be commuting in bumper cars. Why is 70 the arbitrary line? Who are you to decide what an acceptable level of risk is for everyone else?
Well, yes. You are not wrong, at all. We are talking about 70 though, because it is the most common posted speed limit. If you look on the sides on your local interstate, you might see one of them. It says speed limit on it, has a big 70 MPH. Pretty easy to spot.
So if the speed limit was 95 you wouldn't be bitching about people going that fast?
Well, that depends. Have humans gotten smarter where that speed limit is 95? Can I trust that most people will know to keep their hands on the wheel, and focused at all times? Sure! I’m perfectly fine with that. The CURRENT most common posted limit is 70. That’s all that matters in this conversation.
If that's your criteria then you shouldn't be fine with 70 either.
Look. This is the last time I will be replying unless you say something actually substantial. We are talking about people going over the speed limit of 70. I’m even okay if you go 80. I refuse to get pulled over for such a silly reason, as you will not be getting to your destination but maybe a 1 or two minutes faster. It literally doesn’t make sense. But going 90+ MPH is just fucking reckless and beyond stupid. As I told the other person, you are not a fucking NASCAR driver. Drive safer, and everyone wins. Why are we even having a fucking argument? It’s that simple.
The speed limit isn't always set to what's safe the fact that people regularly exceed it without issue proves that. Many places drop it lower than it should be so they can collect ticket revenue. Safety is about paying attention to what's going on around you and leaving enough space to stop. You can do this as easily doing 90 as you can at 70 just leave a bigger gap. If your concern is someone doing something stupid unexpectedly and causing an accident then you might as well be going 15 in the right lane all the time, that's the only way you're going to be going slow enough to be totally safe if someone cuts you off. Unfortunately stupidity is just something we are forced to deal with by the nature of sharing the road. You just have to take the level of risk you are willing to accept. Stupid drivers are a fact of life. No one is forcing you to drive faster than the speed limit. They are just asking you to keep to the right if you are not passing to allow faster drivers to pass by.
Look, buddy. Get this through your thick skull, okay? Going faster = not being able to react in a timely manner when something goes wrong. It is truly that simple. I pray for the drivers around you when you decide to be a fucking dumbass and drive way faster than YOU are reasonably equipped to handle. Good luck out there. I pray you don’t get in an accident.
I drive as fast as I judge is safe I know my limits and the limits of my car. On a lot of highways that is well above the posted limit. I leave myself enough space to stop and I stay aware of my surroundings. If traffic is congested or road conditions necessitate it I slow down, often to less than the limit. It's about judgement and I haven't caused an accident in 20 years of driving so I trust mine. Having an arbitrary limit is stupid and causes more congestion than there would be otherwise. Proper lane usage is the solution to traffic problems, not speed limits.
And here we have it! The actual crux of the issue! People like you who are just SO confident in their abilities! It doesn't matter if you've been driving for 100 years, buddy, all it takes is some wild animal or some other driver to fuck your shit up, which will cause an even worse chain reaction. Go forth, little NASCAR driver. You're too dumb to see reason anyway.
I’d say from experience that that is how it works. If they weren’t driving so fast, they could reasonably react in time. Highways aren’t for playing on.
Yes. My experience.
I’m sure you can, buddy.
Yes. It does.