What is so wrong about driving fast?

ornery and mean

After reading your additional details ... I can pretty much guess that no answer that supports speed limits will satisfy you ... but I'll give it a go anyway.

If all traffic on a road flows at about the same speed, there is less danger for all drivers on the road. How can we decide the speed at which traffic should move an a particular road? The government responsible for maintaining and patrolling the road posts speed limit signs. Speed limits are set with consideration to the conditions around the road.

It wouldn't matter if the speed limit on a highway was 55 mph, or 95 mph ... as long as all users of the road were close to that speed.

Residential areas are a whole different ball game, the situation could change radically very quickly, therefore a lower maximum speed limit.

Why are there speed limits? To assist in the orderly flow of traffic.

Why is it wrong to drive faster than the limit? The faster driver is not "flowing with traffic" ... they are creating a hazard. IMHO it is just as wrong (and dangerous) to drive well below the speed limit on a highway. Same reasoning applies ... the slower driver is interfering with the orderly flow of traffic!

Citicop

Say what you want, speed is a large factor in the severity of injuries in an accident.

Roads were designed to be safely driven at a certain speed. Exceeding that speed is dangerous, and the government wants to discourage people from that behavior.

It's not immoral, but it is a public safety issue.

Cptainamer

Reaction time play a more critical role as speeds increase and as we all know the unexpected occurs when you least expect it. So even though you might be in control it doesn't mean the school bus driver with a load of kids is on his or her game at any given time. Your ability and the time it takes to react at 80 vs 60 MPH could make a heck of a difference.

RemembertheUtah

If everyone drove with the same rules there would be no problem. Look at the German Autobahn as an example. You can drive as fast as you want. And everyone and I mean everyone follows the same rules.

1. Faster cars have the right of way.
2. You never pass on the right side of a car.
3. You stay right unless you are passing.
4. You never cruise in the far left lane.
5. etc.

In the USA people drive like s.h.i.t. on the freeway. You get those who get in the left lane and turn on their cruise control and just sit there. The only way around them is to pass on the right. You have people who see you coming up fast behind them and they have a slower vehicle in front of them. Instead of slowing down so you as the faster vehicle can pass, they pull out in front of you so they do not have to slow down. Then they make no effort to speed up and complete their pass quickly. Americans drive like s.h.i.t. on the freeway.

Since Americans drive so poorly, they have to try to limit the damage by controlling the speed. So you have a maximum of 75-80 in non-congested areas. When you drive fast you are acting as if everyone else will drive in a sane, consistent and rationale manner. It ain't going to happen. By speeding, you add another bit of irrationality to the mix as Americans are also poor at judging speed.

Add to that most American cars do not have high speed tires, a leading cause for American troops in Germany to die. They take their American spec car out on the Autobahn and try to drive fast. Their tires can not handle it and blow. Have YOU ever looked at your tires and check out what their maximum speed rating is? I bet you have not.

And by the way, it is RECKLESS driving, not WRECKLESS.

Protagonist

It's a law because legislation was passed to make it so. What more of a reason do you want? The philosophic reason is moot.

James R

The speed limits are made by the states for certain reasons. For example, most residential streets are 30 mph because there is a chance that a child will run out into the street. If someone is going 45 and a child runs out if front of the car, its going to take a lot longer to stop than it would if they were going 30.

To your highway question, your risk of having an accident increases as your speed increases. So the reason that some highways are 65 is because the roads are more unsafe than those that are 70, either because of the terrain or high volume of traffic.

Lawmakers also make them lower because they know people are always going to go faster than the posted speed limit. No matter what it is, everyone is going to go faster than the limit. If the speed limit on interstates rose to 100, I guarantee you that you will see people going upwards of 120 or 130.

shilo9i

Your problem is that you are attempting to apply philosophy (right and wrong) to a matter of law. Right and wrong often have little to do with laws. While it may not be wrong on a philosophical level, it may still be illegal.

You would be much happier if you would stop mixing your epistemologies.

xtreme2099

as long your using common sense and your not driving 60mph in 15mph school zone its allright,in the city i respect the speed laws cause theres so many factors like people getting of their parking spot ,crossing the streets in middle of the night and its no longer about me.

i had a lot encounters with police driving next to me in a highway at speeds around 90 mph and looking at me and just passing me, but you also risking to get a ticket.. so its a clue to slow down..

Fishguy

It's been proven time and time again stupidity kills, not speed. To answer your question, if the conditions are favorable, nothing is wrong with it.

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