Speed Kills?

[Dave48]

Reading thread re French Police got me thinking about speed and the use of......The message from government is usually along the lines of "Speed Kills" but surely its the inappropriate USE of speed that is a factor in many so called accidents? They are legislating for all of us and  because the AVERAGE standard of driving is poor as we witness daily from our position of increased vulnerability, those road users with above average abilities have to obey the same rules as everyone else.
If these guys choose to break the speed limit then they must be prepared to take the consequences if caught.
If speed kills then why would those in power consider raising the limit on our motorways to 80 when many accidents on these roads are due to poor lane discipline,lack of observation and tailgating-usually in lane 3?
I have no argument with speed in the right circumstances, but I can only think of a few car drivers that ive been a passenger with who ive felt safe with under all conditions-funnily enough they were all motorcyclists as well so THOUGHT and READ the ROAD like bikers have to!
If Im batting down the motorway @ 100plus in lane 3 and mr Magoo or the guy twiddling with his mobile pulls into my lane because he hasnt looked or failed to judge my approach speed am I going to blame him for his stupidity or accept that I played a part in the situation for making ASSUMPTIONS about others abilities/intentions?
If I get clocked by a speed camera (I did once & that was enough!) whose fault is that?
If we are intelligent beings surely we can find opportunities to  "make progress" without drawing attention to ourselves? and let the "boy racers" do trackdays to show us how good they are.

[Lawrence]

Agree with a lot of what you said except this...

and let the "boy racers" do trackdays to show us how good they are.

Surely it's the "boy racers" who are doing it supidly on the road... racing off the lights etc.  Why does doing a track day put you in the same category as that?

[Dave48]

Perhaps I phrased it badly. The track would be a better place for them to "explore the limits". I would never imply that doing a trackday put anyone in that category!   Generally speaking the boy racers i see probably wouldnt see the need for any further personal riding development! Whereas the thinking biker realises theres always something to improve/learn

[Skippernick]

Agree with a lot of what you said except this...

and let the "boy racers" do trackdays to show us how good they are.

Surely it's the "boy racers" who are doing it supidly on the road... racing off the lights etc.  Why does doing a track day put you in the same category as that?

I agree but i also see plenty of supped up german and just plain normal cars driving stupidly its not just the citeron saxos.

[Slaninar]

Speed kills, cars, bikes etc. should be banned yes.

Until that happens, I'm happy speeding and avoiding getting caught. Speed limits are for average clumsy drivers. I'd sure regret it if something bad happened when speeding, but I can't help it. Toooo slow.

[Khaotik]

Agreed with everything... including the point about boy-racers.  And every Saxo driver seems to drive like a twunt which cannot be said for every German/normal car. Certain cars attract a certain type.
 
And often these modified Saxo/Fiesta/Corsa monstrosities have everything modified except the brakes because modifying brakes is not cool... so more speed not compensation by more stopping power?  Not a problem in German/normal cars.

[DILLIGAFF]

AFAIK The slogan "Speed kills" was first used to dissuade drug users from using LSD, or speed.


If speed was a killer we would not have air travel or high speed trains.


You are correct in stating that limits are set low to accommodate all levels of (generally poor) driving standards.
There is also the argument that as speed drops, accident survivability increases.


For my part I have always found that the slower I drive the less I concentrate and once stuck on a motorway, surrounded by vehicles limited to the same speed, then the chance of an accident increases.


Best to overtake and leave all the ditherers well behind.

[Grandma]

Reading thread re French Police got me thinking about speed and the use of......The message from government is usually along the lines of "Speed Kills" but surely its the inappropriate USE of speed that is a factor in many so called accidents? They are legislating for all of us and  because the AVERAGE standard of driving is poor as we witness daily from our position of increased vulnerability, those road users with above average abilities have to obey the same rules as everyone else.
If these guys choose to break the speed limit then they must be prepared to take the consequences if caught.
If speed kills then why would those in power consider raising the limit on our motorways to 80 when many accidents on these roads are due to poor lane discipline,lack of observation and tailgating-usually in lane 3?
I have no argument with speed in the right circumstances, but I can only think of a few car drivers that ive been a passenger with who ive felt safe with under all conditions-funnily enough they were all motorcyclists as well so THOUGHT and READ the ROAD like bikers have to!
If Im batting down the motorway @ 100plus in lane 3 and mr Magoo or the guy twiddling with his mobile pulls into my lane because he hasnt looked or failed to judge my approach speed am I going to blame him for his stupidity or accept that I played a part in the situation for making ASSUMPTIONS about others abilities/intentions?
If I get clocked by a speed camera (I did once & that was enough!) whose fault is that?
If we are intelligent beings surely we can find opportunities to  "make progress" without drawing attention to ourselves? and let the "boy racers" do trackdays to show us how good they are.

Well put

[Lazarus]

If speed kills, then we wouldnt have the emergency services tearing around attempting to get to crime/disaster scenes in the shortest possible time.

The reason that they can do it is that they have the training to be able to drive at higher speeds.

the problem we have today is that a vast majority of folk THINK that they can handle a car in any road conditions. The resultant carnage on the roads is simple a reminder that they cannot.

some people are blessed with the ability to marry up high speeds with the ability to handle the vehicle. the stereotypical boy racers are just a mobile accident waiting to happen.

I can drive fast and safely when it suits, but im aware of my (and the cars) limitation - others are not.l

[MEM62]

Speed does not kill.  Bad driving / riding kills. 
If the Government were serious in its messages concerning road safety then they would be far less cynical about speeding convictions; which, let's face it, are treated as little more than an easy and lucrative revenue stream.  Motorists will be done for doing 50 in a 40 even when such speed does not constitute any increased risk (For example, on a dual carriageway with no junctions or built up areas close) yet less effort is made to address bad driving such as driving while on the phone, lane diclipline, tail-gating and poor observation etc actually represent a greater risk of accidents.  Perhaps it is because you can leave a machine by the side of the road which does not require a salary, pension or days off and it will collect money 24/7.  To deal with the other offences actually requires a proper strategy and an investment in Police officers on the roads.  Something that I think the authorities have little interest in doing.       

[Dave48]

Some excellent points & replies. I think money is the sole motivator of  Government and they pay lip service to whatever is politically expedient.
So it seems very strange that in spite of the huge cost to the community/economy due to accident/road casualties they reduce police presence on roads but continue to "tax" us via speed cameras/ driver education courses(nice little earner). Its pretty obvious where their priorities lie.
So with virtually unenforceable sensible laws its little wonder that many road users continue to get away with dangerous behaviour.
Dont know how you start to change peoples thinking for the better?   Would I be accused of being cynical if I suggested we riders werent popular because we dont pay as much into government coffers as cage drivers? Thats not always true since road tax(Laugh) on cage =£30 pa on bike £76! Not exactly logical is it?

[Raymy]

I've never seen speed cop a charge