This simplistic narrative that people who exceed the speed limit are trying to be cool is not accurate in my opinion. Maybe if you’re talking about a particular subset of the population who insist on driving sports cars in a reckless manner, you’d be right, but I don’t think that’s why the average Joe speeds. He’d just rather be somewhere else doing something else other than driving, and the faster he drives, the sooner he can be doing whatever it is he wants to be doing, like drinking a cold beer in a comfortable chair.
According to Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, the highest stage of moral development is the one where you decide for yourself which rules make sense, and follow the rules that fit what you consider universal ethical principles. When viewed in that light, speed limits seem arbitrary, and going slower than the flow of traffic creates an inherent danger to you and the people around you. That’s why, when everyone is exceeding the speed limit, only the people who are driving faster than the flow of traffic get ticketed.
If the government wanted everyone to drive at or below the speed limit, there are better ways to do it than post signs and punish a small handful of people who speed. They could install governors in everyone’s car that don’t let you exceed the highest speed limit in your state. They could install computer-controlled governors that adjust based on the speed limit where you are driving. They could take discretion away from police officers, insisting they pull over the first speeder they see. They could insist that police issue a citation for each driver they pull over.
There are about three dozen better ways to accomplish this goal than they way our government does it, so clearly they don’t care of everyone drives 5 MPH over the speed limit, because the cost is negligible.
I often have to use the I-44 corridor that includes Oklahoma turnpikes Turner and Will Rodgers . These are main routes for drug deliveries . I don’t speed even by 1 MPH . I have no desire to converse with one of the Highway Troopers or see one of their drug sniffing dogs in action .
Good thing the government was there to save us from advertising…
Probably a sign the that the speed limit was set too low to begin with.
Depends on the length of the journey.
You can’t always have contingencies for things you have zero control over; you can try of course, but there are some things that are in other people’s, nature’s, or simply chance’s hands.
A worthwhile risk for a lot of people apparently.
That would be the case regardless if you speeding or not.
Perhaps people’s reasoning is not to “look cool” but rather more practical reasons, like getting to their destination in a shorter period of time.
I don’t think people are speeding solely to impress you. It’s more likely they have their own reasons to exceed the speed limit that have nothing to do with other people’s opinion of their actions.
Why do speeders think it is cool? People like the challenge of games, and it’s a challenge not to get caught. These folks believe it’s a successful stunt if you can drive 80 mph in a 25 mph zone and get away with it. Speaking of stunts, just a couple of days ago I was driving at 35 mph in a 35 zone, middle of three lanes. Pretty late at night, so not many cars on the road. Some sort of sports car comes along at a pretty good clip, passes me on the left, then notices the traffic light is red up ahead. Know what he did? He veers from the left lane to the far right lane in front of me, turns right at the traffic light, make an immediate U-turn, then turns back on the same road … lol … I got to thinking “I wonder why he did that? He could have accomplished the same thing and probably violating fewer laws by just running the red light”.
Thanks for the article. I just assumed some meatball state Senator set speed limits.
I was surprised the Pasadena Freeway was designed for 45 MPH. That was pretty quick in 1940. The Fed specs (Eisenhower) called for interstate freeway “design speeds of 50 to 70 miles per hour (depending on type of terrain)”. If you drive thru Portland OR, you’ll see the lower speeds. It was a shock to be doing 70 and come to that first curve unaware.
Do you have any idea whether this methodology is actually used a majority of the time when setting speed limits or whether government officials override best practice for their own motivation? I’ve read similar studies or practices that recommend the use of this 85th percentile as the speed limit basis; the underlying belief is that the general driving population has good judgment in proper speed and to let the population set the speed limit.
I seem to find a lot of roads in which the speed limit is really low so I wonder how they are set.
You could check your state’s DOT. They may have an article.
I vanpooled with 3 ODOT workers, so learned a bit about their work. Oregon uses very similar methodologies that Feds recommend. The legislators take it under advisement, then do whatever they think is best. The best ODOT can do is let them know, if deaths occur, it’ll get in the press.
I didn’t know they had a list of “failed roads”, nor guys whose job it is to drive state roads with semi-automated equipment. Apparently it measures road condition as they motor along. They even had some radioactive equipment stolen from a motel parking lot… used to measure substrata(?) of new roads & rebuilt roads, as part of a quality control.
For the most part, driver’s regularly exceed the speed limit by ten or fifteen over, if not more than that because by me the LEO’s rarely ticket anyone for excessive speed at those speeds.
You have to do something else reckless in addition to get flagged at no more than 20 over the posted limit generally.
…and then there’s me, traveling @ speed limit on the freeway and got pulled over for a burned out headlight. No ticket, he simply had a quota of discount cards to give out, good for a local auto parts store.
Here’s the dvd rental movie for you: Harry in Your Pocket, 1972, filmed in Seattle, Vancouver and Salt Lake City. Street scenes galore, so you’ll get to see all the cars of the early 70’s era too.
I got pulled over by a county sheriff deputy for a burned out license plate lamp, also in a very dangerous place. I’m definitely not a happy camper about that incident.
VDCdriver, the discussion ends with your post that said it all.
By the way, I’ll see your 49 years and raise you seven. Not counting backing into a concrete post at twilight because I was late, and three times backing out of a parking space (I’m better looking out of the windshield), I’ve never had an accident. That includes driving in Thailand (4 years, mostly motorcycles, but six months a jeep), Okinawa (3 years), Germany (3 years), etc.
As you said, those who drive the speed limit but well under prevailing traffic are a hazard to the rest of us.
The more I think of it, the more I resent the original post. “Cool” to exceed the speed limit? Where did “cool” come from?
Worst of all are those, maybe the OP, who drive the speed limit in the left/passing lane. There’s a special place in Hell reserved for them.
I guess I don’t watch enough TV but I kind of pictured blonde.
Just to continue though as a caution, if you are going through Indiana, 25 over the limit is a mandatory court appearance. Under that is about $170 fine. Cash, no checks. Plus not dimming your lights is another $200. So best be careful trying to be “cool” in Indiana. Plus these are the guys that like to impound your car too that the SCOTUS knocked back a little.
Speaking of that, there was an article in I think Car and Driver on impounding in Chicago and Illinois. Seems that a constitutional amendment was passed that allows local jurisdictions to determine their own impound rules. One of the examples was the guy that had his car impounded because a guy riding with him had some drugs. The fees fines and storage fees were up to $17,000. Another one had a guy from the repair shop get stopped without a license and the car was impounded. So I guess don’t pick up any hitchhikers and take care going through the windy city.
This is one of my pet peeves, never had anything confiscated myself or even threatened, but I just see it as totally unconstitutional. Our local Sheriff, nice guy that he is disagrees and needs the money for extra training and equipment. I disagree.
Yeah, it’s Black Jesus… if Jesus was living in Compton. Season 3 will be out?
I think they impound your car @ 25 over freeway speeds in Oregon. I know the fine is stiff. As for no driver’s license, that a huge no-no. Dudes convicted of DUI tend to be those who continue to drive. It’s a certain impound. One local had his car impounded, then a motorcycle, then his electric bicycle… charged all 3 times. It is expensive to reclaim a vehicle. Under 48 hours later, it can cost $400+ to bail your car out, plus towing. If you had anything of value, it’s likely gone when you pick up the car.
For the drugs, he’s lucky his car wasn’t taken. Cops LOVE to find drugs. Pot is legal in Oregon, but a guy had his rental house snatched b/c his son (living in the house) was dealing pot. Once they do a drug bust, they don’t have to prosecute. It can be near impossible to get your property back. That’s how the cops got a fancy (new) Camaro a few years ago. Ironically, they used it to teach kids about not using drugs. I was passed by the car on the freeway… must have been doing 30+ over the limit. No lights, he was heading to Salem for a meeting.
We can make a really good guess. Jesus was born and lived in Nazareth. The Bethlehem story was just to add legitimacy to his stature. This means he was Semitic, not black. If you look at the religious wall art from Aksum, it clearly shows black local kings and a white Mary and Jesus. This was circa 330 AD, so it should have been a lot fresher in early Christian’s minds.
