Road Rules and jerks.....

[paulpablo]

I don't know what extent the police go to to catch speeders in other countries but we have smart motorways now with variable speed limits.

This means the speed limit can change on the road you're driving on at any moment, there's electronic signs with speed detection cameras all the way down the road.

Its bearable to drive on but it doesn't help that they change the speed limit down to 50 sometimes just to test out the technology on a totally empty road that should be 70.

I think with the smart motorways in place it's safe to sometimes have the speed limit up to 90.

If the speed is going to be so closely monitored it's probably better to be realistic and honest, lots of people drive around 80 on a motorway when there's no speed cameras. I've driven at high speeds on an motorway that's empty and clear and not felt in danger.

There's supposed to be cameras that recognise when people are on their phones, I'm not sure about the rules in other countries but in England the penalties are severe for someone on their phone which I think is a good thing.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Inside lanes are for racing. Outside lanes are more sedate. I never speed up for anybody who doesn't have flashing emergency lights.

I've never had a moving violation. Had an "overtime parking" ticket in 1978.

[EgoDeath]

I don't know what extent the police go to to catch speeders in other countries but we have smart motorways now with variable speed limits.

We have speeding cameras and red light cameras in the US but I've never paid a fine for a speeding camera. They've been deemed "unconstitutional" in many cases and I think the city just sort of hopes you'll pay the fine without putting up a fuss.

[paulpablo]

Driving through my local city is a mess of speed cameras, bus lane cameras and red light cameras, I've not had any sort of ticket from those but I do avoid driving through the city most of the time.

[Angrboda]

While I agree with your general thrust, Brian, I think, if I'm not mistaken, research has shown that it is variance which is to blame for more accidents and fatalities, not the speeding itself. While you may feel justified in not matching the speed of the traffic around you if that traffic is going faster than the speed limit, your doing so is more likely to result in an accident or even a death. I think in the grand scheme of things, that outweighs your concerns for the legality and possible ticket you might receive. That being said, the appropriate thing is for faster traffic to stay to the left, and slower traffic stay to the right. That way everybody is happy. If you are speeding in the slow lane, or going slow in the fast lane, then you are the problem.

This reminds me of the debate about when to merge into traffic from an entry ramp. The common intuition is to merge as early as possible, but I believe the conventional wisdom is that you should delay merging until you are required to do so. I don't know if this rests upon any research, or instead is just convention, but again, it appears to be a case where intuition seems to suggest that deviating from the norm is the best course, when in fact it may not be.

[EgoDeath]

While I agree with your general thrust, Brian, I think, if I'm not mistaken, research has shown that it is variance which is to blame for more accidents and fatalities, not the speeding itself.  While you may feel justified in not matching the speed of the traffic around you if that traffic is going faster than the speed limit, your doing so is more likely to result in an accident or even a death.  I think in the grand scheme of things, that outweighs your concerns for the legality and possible ticket you might receive.  That being said, the appropriate thing is for faster traffic to stay to the left, and slower traffic stay to the right.  That way everybody is happy.  If you are speeding in the slow lane, or going slow in the fast lane, then you are the problem.

This reminds me of the debate about when to merge into traffic from an entry ramp.  The common intuition is to merge as early as possible, but I believe the conventional wisdom is that you should delay merging until you are required to do so.  I don't know if this rests upon any research, or instead is just convention, but again, it appears to be a case where intuition seems to suggest that deviating from the norm is the best course, when in fact it may not be.

There's no research that I know of that shows "variance is to blame for more accidents and fatalities, not the speeding itself." Speeding, however, kills almost 10,000 people per year. Speed limits are set for a reason and you can react better at 60MPH than you can at 90MPH - that's simple logic. If everyone on the road is going 65MPH and someone speeding is going 90MPH and ends up crashing, then sure, "variance" is the problem. But the real problem is that person was speeding. It's generally safer to do 60MPH than it is 90MPH.

With anything in life, I think plenty of exceptions exist to any rule. For the most part, I find the "go with the flow of traffic" argument to be bullshit, but there are certainly times when it's probably more sensible and I'm sure it depends on the context. There are probably also exceptions to the idea that speeding is always dangerous.

Usually, the "go with the flow of traffic" arguments tend to come from people who speed, tailgate and otherwise drive like complete idiots. I've often seen people in the passing lane doing 75MPH with some asshole behind them tailgating in hopes that the person will "get out of their way." That's simply not how the road works. If people "aren't going fast enough" for you, just slow down. No one is forcing you to speed. Leave your house earlier so you're not late - it isn't rocket science.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

While I agree with your general thrust, Brian, I think, if I'm not mistaken, research has shown that it is variance which is to blame for more accidents and fatalities, not the speeding itself.  While you may feel justified in not matching the speed of the traffic around you if that traffic is going faster than the speed limit, your doing so is more likely to result in an accident or even a death.  I think in the grand scheme of things, that outweighs your concerns for the legality and possible ticket you might receive.  That being said, the appropriate thing is for faster traffic to stay to the left, and slower traffic stay to the right.  That way everybody is happy.  If you are speeding in the slow lane, or going slow in the fast lane, then you are the problem.

LOL, that's speeding that's the problem.

[fredd bear]

"Inside lanes are for racing. Outside lanes are more sedate. I never speed up for anybody who doesn't have flashing emergency lights.

I've never had a moving violation. Had an "overtime parking" ticket in 1978."

 That's the exact opposite here;

Sedate drivers; keep left (inside lane) In a hurry, outside lane

Speeding: I was pinged 3 times in one year, twice by speed cameras, once by a patrol car, for doing 80km in a 50km zone..  Mortified; I've been driving for over 50 years.  Never pinged before.

What happened? I traded in my 2 litre auto Pintara  for a 2 litre, manual Elantra .I have always driven by engine sound, it was wrong in the Elantra. Current car is a sedate 2.4 litre Camry. No problems BUT, Camry is coming to the end of its trouble-free life. Will replace it in June, (end of financial year) probably with a 1500cc Mazda 2.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Speed greater than the mass of the traffic is major contributor to the accident statistics. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has stats.

[Brian37]

In my almost 18 years of online debate, and even longer time of not having a traffic violation since 1999, one thing pisses me off more than mythology, and those are assholes who bitch about others obeying the speed limit and traffic laws.

The argument from the asshole speed freaks are, "Just go with the flow of traffic". 

No, assholes. The right thing to do is to obey posted speed limit signs, and keep your distance behind anyone in front of you. 

NO ASSHOLES, I will not speed up and risk a ticket for you. It isn't my fault you didn't leave in time. You are not going to pay my speeding ticket or insurance hike if I get pulled over, so FUCKING BACK OFF AND DONT BE A DOUCHEBAG.

Don't never drive in Donegal.  Fuckers up there drive 120kph where I'd fear to do 60, and I'm no angel.

No wonder it leads the road deaths league by a country mile.

Speeding does not make you safer. Any physicist can tell you weight and speed matter and the faster you go the longer it takes to stop.  And speeding also cuts down on your reaction time too.  Just because you have gotten away with it thus far without an accident, doesn't mean you always will.