Speed Limit Enforcement: Setting an Example for Adherence to Laws

In summary: UNDER the speed limit?In summary, the conversation discusses the issue of the speed limit and its enforcement. It is argued that the disregard for the speed limit sets a bad precedent for adherence to other laws and can lead to dangerous situations. The cost and effectiveness of enforcing speed laws is also debated, with suggestions for camera surveillance systems. There is also a mention of people's tendency to go over the speed limit and the pressure to conform to the average speed of traffic.
  • #106
tribdog said:
The only case I can see where you can accelerate out of danger is when you are driving over a collapsing bridge.

Suppose that you are overtaking this truck with 70mph on that unlimited speed German Autobahn and then that 200mph Porsche driver behind you tries to dial somebody on his cell phone.
 
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  • #107
I'll give you that one.
 
  • #108
I always look towards braking or slowing down to get out of danger when I'm driving. I think this is probably because my first car was a Datsun B210. this stupid car went from 0 to 60 in about seven minutes.
 
  • #109
Kurdt said:
Only certain parts of the Autobahn are not limited.

Yes, that is true, but I'm sure on average the speed is higher than that on other highways.

I have driven on the autobahn when I used to work with, then, DaimlerChrysler in a off the shop floor SL 55 AMG, limited to 250km/h of course :wink: The only places that we had to slow down (down to 120km/h which is still in the same range as US and other European highways) was in the area of on/off ramps.
 
  • #110
tribdog said:
in don't think accelerating in either case is the SAFEST solution. I'll admit it may be the most convienient solution. In the first case pulling onto a side street or onto the shoulder is the right move. accelerating simply postpones the time until you have to deal with the car behind you.
You assume a great deal. There isn't always a usable shoulder, or cross street. And besides, slowing down to make use of them would almost surely have made things worse. As it turns out when this actually happened, I was on a freeway without a usable shoulder. And postponing was a good idea, because the only danger was immediate -- once everybody had spread out, there wasn't much danger left.

In the second case slowing down and waiting until you can merge, using the shoulder if you have to, is the safest.
Slowing down in that situation is very dangerous, because of the risk of getting rear ended if there was someone behind me either entering or exiting. Whether or not the shoulder is suitable for (brief) travel at 50 MPH is not something you can effectively ascertain in a split second when your attention is already demanded in 3 other directions. And for many roads, trying to merge from a cold start is not an especially safe procedure.
 
  • #111
I don't think speed limits are that big of a problem. I'm willing to bet probably 80% of crashes and deaths occur in city areas instead of highways. The problems are people being in a hurry and not paying attention or thinking that they are always first in line and everyone should bow to them.
 
  • #112
Andre said:
Suppose that you are overtaking this truck with 70mph on that unlimited speed German Autobahn and then that 200mph Porsche driver behind you tries to dial somebody on his cell phone.

I'd like to see a Porsche do 200mph on the Autobahn.
 
  • #113

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