If you speed, why don't you run stop signs also?

For those of you out there who drive well over the posted speed limit (this means almost everyone out there), why are you willing to so blatently break a traffic law such as the speed limit? If you are going to blatently and obviously break a speed limit, why don't you just run stop signs while you're at it? What's the difference? Both can lead to an increase in the chance of an accident, and both are summary offenses, which means the fines if you get caught are about the same in dollars. Aren't you the least bit concerned about possibly getting nailed for a big fine, only to save a few minutes of time? I'm not trying to make anyone mad here, and I'm not saying I'm right or you're wrong, so everyone just try to keep your cool and answer this question in a civil way if you choose to.
Additional Details
Ben Linus, I both agree and disagree with your response. I disagree with you that "moderate speeding" is ok, because regardless, the faster you go, the less time you leave yourself to react to a hazard and also the longer your stopping distance will be. These things could be the difference between a collision and a near miss.

However, you did make a few good points about the stopping at the stop sign. However, let's take any other traffic violation, such as not using a turn signal. I know a lot of people don't use turn signals, but if speeders are going to blatently break a speed limit law, why don't they not use turn signals while they are at it? My whole point here is that it seems there is this problem everywhere now where people aren't even afraid of traffic law enforcement, and blatently and obviously break these simple rules of the road. This is a problem, because if people just continue doing what they want out there, it could lead to very very bad results.

Friendly Stranger..

I see your point here. I believe that if you are going to obey the law, you should obey all of it. You can't be a complete driver if you observe some laws and ignore others. Its either do everything correct or don't do it at all. As it relates to running stop signs, I believe many don't speed through stop signs because they realize that speeding through stop signs would almost certainly involve an accident. Cars usually are awaiting each person that stops at a stop sign. If you blow through one, then you are likely to broad side someone causing a major accident. However, the same can be said for speeding in general. There have been driver's I have seen that have blown right through red lights. Red lights are similar to stop signs with the exception that you must wait until the light is green to go, unless you have a "turn right on red" sign. Anyway, my point is speeding in general can cause an accident and you should obey every aspect of the law. Both speeding and blowing through stop signs is wrong. Every driver should observe each law as it is, and not try to make it convenient for themselves. But the penalty will be an increase in fines and accidents.

Shredder (not of paper)

Excellent point. Why the hell would someone break the law to supposedly get to where they're going quicker, then stop at a stop sign, when no one is coming??? It's borderline schizophrenic, seriously.

I speed. I do not stop at stop signs unless someone is coming or I see, or detect, a cop nearby. Occasionally I will run a red light that is pointless to stop at.

I will also pass in the turning lane, over double lines and sometimes go around someone at a red light, then run the red light.

If you're gonna do it, do it right.

However, it could be that they're just spaced out on their cellphone not paying attention to anything else and don't realize they're speeding. That is the less fun, entertaining answer but probably closer to the truth.

Mike K

i stop at stop signs because i dont want to get slammed by another car and it only takes 3 sec's to look. i do speed anywhere from 5-15mph over the speed limit and im not afraid of getting a fine cause i got a great radar detector that has been working for 3 years and never let me down. i speed cause im a great driver and if you are doing the speed limit at 55mph and everyone else is at 70 you are putting yourself more in danger that everyone else that is doing 70

Cable T

It's not how fast you drive but how you drive fast. Keep that in mind. Speeding per se is not inherently unsafe. Where you speed is the problem. Going 35 in a school zone posted at 20 with kids present is not the same as doing 80 on an interstate posted at 65. Which do you consider more unsafe...driving 40 on that 65 MPH highway in traffic or speeding at 80 with no traffic? Running a stop sign is worlds apart from speeding. The consequences of breaking one traffic law are not the same as breaking another one. Don't you agree? Not everything is black and white.

Ben Linus

There's a difference in danger between going 8-10mph over the speed limit when everyone else is also going 8-10mph over the speed limit and travelling in the same direction and running a stop sign where people are crossing your path perpendicularly, even though both are obviously illegal.

"Moderate" speeding doesn't usually kill anyone if everyone else is going about the same speed and the road conditions are good, even if it is illegal. Running a stop sign has a much greater potential to injure/kill other drivers and/or yourself because if you do hit someone while running a stop sign chances are you'll be hitting someone going perpendicular to the direction you're travelling in and they won't be moving nearly as fast as you are when you hit them.

I don't think most people are worried about fines for speeding because although once in a while you might get caught and get ticketed, most of the time you won't get caught especially if everyone else is going the same speed you are. It's a lot easier for a police officer to pick out one car running a stop sign (since so few people run them compared to the number of people who speed) than it is for a police officer to pick out one person speeding from everyone else speeding.

lune

Choosing to speed (Driving well above the limit) and stopping at stop signs is not so much about the cost of the fine. People seldom think of the monetary penalties when choosing either of these. Be it a stop sign, railroad track, traffic light etc. This is a conscious decision based on risk vs consequence. Its called behavior or at risk behavior. here is why, on a daily basis, people speed, this is primarily due to the fact that we are either following the traffic flow an patterns on the feeways or country roads. Therefore, we evaluate the risk of either keeping up with the flow where the risk would seem to be at its lowest for accidents, and certainly even less for a violation or we slow down to the posted limit and perceive that this is dangerous because other drivers impatience will cause me to have an accident or they will cause an accident. so the risk is low and the consequences are low for this type of speeding.
Now, about stop signs. Risk vs consequence? we dramatically change or behavior when it comes to stop signs (well at least most of us do). The risk and consequence for not stopping at the stop signs or intersections are much greater. the risk of accident is great and the consequences are or can be extreme (death). Our ability to evoke fear within our behavior is primal. so the bottom line here is Risk vs consequence. the higher the risk-consequence, the more no risk behavior. Slow down and stop to think.

Patrick W

because a stop sign is there to control traffic when there's a potential conflict, a speed limit is a guide for traffic to safely drive on that particular road. Would you like someone to blow off a stop sign and cause an accident? How don't you get it? It's not about the law as much as it is common sense and how the public carries itself. Why don't you ask the police why they don't ticket every car if every car breaks the speed limit for that matter? You are being rediculious.

dvdclarke

red light is a more serious issue.

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