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Speed is also a poor proxy for safety. Lack of attention and aptitude is the real problem. Some people's problem is that they drive faster than they or their c

Speed is also a poor proxy for safety. Lack of attention and aptitude is the real problem. Some people's problem is that they drive faster than they or their cars can physically handle, but they are relatively rare compared to those who are unsafe even below the speed limit. Things like texting, fixating on the spot directly in front of the car, and simply not caring about putting others in danger. They are also less likely to speed simply because they don't have the confidence for it. So speeding enforcement is a poor use of resources. What's really needed is some kind of driver screening to see if they have the mental and visual acuity, motor skills and discipline to drive at any speed. Intense scrutiny of new drivers is probably why western and northern Europe are the safest places to be on the road. With VR simulators and eye tracking this can even be done objectively and consistently at no risk to the public. Stare at the spot in front of the car? Miss an erratic cyclist in your field of view? Can't keep in your lane? Better get a bus pass. I expect a lot of politicians would balk at the idea since they know they themselves would fail. Also, a better alternative to speed limits is tiered licenses, just like they are for motorcycles. I've experimented with seeing how fast I can drive on the derestricted Autobahn, and found it takes a very different skill set and lots of practice to do well. Everything happens in split seconds, before you know it you're task saturated, falling behind the car, have angry Germans in diesel Passats behind you and no planned escape in the middle lane. If you want to drive a particular speed you have to demonstrate in the simulator that you can keep up at that speed, and do so consistently over time. So the people who do on-ramps and merge at 50 km/h should probably be capped at that speed anyway and stay on surface streets. Then you have one that lets you in on the right lane at truck driving speeds, and then another that lets you drive at whatever speed you please.

oliwarner 5y ago
Pushing the physical speed limitations of cars is not what kills cyclists and pedestrians. In many countries, those groups are excluded from high speed roads. These deaths predominantly happen around 30mph, at junctions and other road furniture. Edit: I've based that on UK experience, while TFA puts most US accidents on "arterial" roads, which can be 30-50mph. This doesn't change what I'm saying to you though, cyclists aren't dying because cars explode at 50mph.

oliwarner 5y ago

Pushing the physical speed limitations of cars is not what kills cyclists and pedestrians. In many countries, those groups are excluded from high speed roads. These deaths predominantly happen around 30mph, at junctions and other road furniture. Edit: I've based that on UK experience, while TFA puts most US accidents on "arterial" roads, which can be 30-50mph. This doesn't change what I'm saying to you though, cyclists aren't dying because cars explode at 50mph.