Appalling Police Action in Palo Alto 4409I don't disagree with that. Yes I know the difference well. I've read a lot of speed studies pointed out by folks on this group. Fascinating stuff, and I don't disagree with what they...
I'm not sure what you are asking here. Are you suggesting that no one drives faster than their auto's capabilities or skill level? I'd say many people do. I certainly wouldn't make the buttumption that if we raise the speed limit to 85, every inexperienced teenager will choose to drive slower than that, for example. I'd predict that many inexperienced teenagers - especially males - will in fact choose to drive faster than that.
It's like a yellow-signed advisory speed around a sharp curve. Somebody who has been through a Skip Barber driving course may be capable of taking that curve at 50. But 50 would not be the speed I would put on that sign, especially if I determine that most drivers would wipe out at above 35. I might put 30 or 25 mph so that the LEAST experienced driver can safely make it around the curve.
The idea of the roads is NOT to provide a fun park for people who want to drive fast, get thrills, test their hemi or prove their manhood. The idea is NOT EVEN to get us from point A to point B as quickly as possible. It is to get us to point A to point B as safely as practical, and that means that some drivers will have to accept being compelled to drive slower than their capabilities. And I don't think there is much political will in this country to change it, or it would have been changed. I suppose we could create many different roads with different speed limits and test drivers to see the fastest ones they are capable of using. Or maybe we can all take annaul test in a simulator and get a "speed rating" that would result in eletronic controls being put in our vehicles. But that doesn't sound practical to me.
-- Regards, Anthony Giorgianni
The return address for this post is ficbreastious. Please reply by posting back to the newsgroup.
