On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:38:10 +0100, Ian Dalziel
Exactly my point. What would you consider more dangerous: an uncontrolled road junction, or the same junction with traffic lights that are all stuck on green?
It is of course not the case that people who have an accident crossing the light-controlled junction are *incapable* of deciding when to cross the junction safely, but that they have not made any decision for themselves because the decision has been made for them by the trffic lights.
I propose that a similar mechanism is at work wrt speed limit signs. There is a sign apparently telling you what speed is safe, so no need to make your own determination unless there is something exceptional going on. Perhaps not something that a driver would do if s-he thought about it rationally, but most decisions take place at the subconcious level and rational thought is not involved.
We are contantly being fed the line that exceeding the speed limit is dangerous. That message infers that the speed limit represents the maximum *safe* speed for the road, and is a message that affects our subconcious decision making even if we know full well that it is illogical.
-- Cynic
