Should Speeding Be Taken So Seriously?

That is the question. Cops probably write more speeding tickets per driver being pulled over than they do catching rapists and murderes as per persons raped or murdered...
And speeding isn ALL that bad. especially in most circumstances, open road or lane and doing maybe 20mph over. Nothing that is threatening ANY lives.
It is also proven that when people are alowed to drive at speeds which they desire/feel comfertable with road rage and traffic colisions are reduced (looking at the german autobahn vs. the united states interstate highway system).
Cops write tickets for speeding because they have calibrated spedometers and decently accurate radars which can back up what htey are saying, where as other traffic infractions which can be FAR more dangerous are passed by with a warning knowing that with the right lawyer or connections that the state will never see the money, another case of "the man" braking down on the little guy. yo ucant fight a calibrated spedometer when what you where doing IS aginst the law.
Now wreckless driving is another thing, speeding plus pulling stuped assed manuvers like passing on the right or weaving is a completely different issue...but simply speeding withing a responable ammount for the given road conditions?

i say cops should not pull u over unless ur doing 15mph or more over the speed and/or driving recklessly. in some small towns they will pull u over for 2-3mph over the limit because thats their only income. bottom line; if ur speeding excesively and driving like and asshole (weving in and out of traffic, tailgating) then u should be pulled over.

If I didn't have a speed limit, it would be the same as murder. :lol2:

I see what you're saying.

However, the truth is, people DO NEED rules. That's the fact of life. Maybe YOU don't need to be told that the speed limit is 30km/h for a reason in a school zone, but there are plenty of half-wits out there who get a license and are absolutely oblivious to what's going on around them.

That being said, I also think that municipalities should really take a gander at speed limits and modify them where appropriate. Those speed limits were put in place when car mechanics were not as advanced as they are now. On the highway, the speed limit is 80km/h because 50 years ago, that's all that a car's engine and brakes would allow. But today's vehicles can go 120 or 130km/h without being dangerous.

Also, I think the penalties (fines) should be rethought. For example, I got a ticket for going 100 in a 60 (long story) that got lowered for 75 in a 60. I got a ticket for 50 bucks. The cop also got me for not having a front plate... 110 DOLLARS!!! Now where am I a greater threat to society? Going 40 over in a 60km/h residential zone, or failing to display a FRONT plate??

I DO think the speed limits in the city are just fine where they are. 30km/h in a school zone is just dandy thanks. 50km/h in residential areas is also quite reasonable, (maybe make it a tad higher in the dead of night, say 10pm to 5am where there are less people).

Now to play devil's advocate again, say the speed limit on the highway went up to 120km/h instead of 100. Then people will try to push that limit again. Well, 120 is the limit, I can probably go 130 without being in trouble. Then the upper limit is pushed up. And I have to be honest, the majority of people I see on the roads shouldn't even be going 100km/h let alone 120.

This is why many cops use discretion when issuing speeding tickets. I just got pulled over a few days ago for going about 20km's over. It was 3am, noone around, I got off. Someone going even 10 over in a 50 but is weaving through traffic and in general being an ass on the road will NOT get off as easily.

Its funny though. Here in Wyoming our speed limit is 75mph, but everybody drives like 70 except for me doing 90 or more(not dangerous at all). It depends alot on the people in the area as to whether you can increase a speed limit safely or not. Wyoming needs to try removing the limit on the interstate because our roads have less traffic than the ones in Montana(previously speed limitless). Run Flat tires should be mandatory on all cars that go faster than 75.

speed is part of the issue but it isn't the only issue.
unfortunately, speed is something that can physically be measured and check, unlike something that is intangible such as reckless driving or stupid driving.

the real problem is people driving inappropriately to the situation in which they are in.

is a 15mph reduced limit outside/near a school valid on weekends or not during school hours? yes, but is it then appropriate/needed during those times?

the other problem is that because speed is an easy target, it is also something that politicians pick up on and wave their terror stick at, which translates to local authorities having to show some response. in a lot of cases, those who speed DO so recklessly but there are those who drive sensibly.
speed itself isn't the danger (although speed increases the danger). the REAL danger is stupidity.

The real issue is not the "Speeding", as it is the "Driver's Irresponsibility and Disrespect" of traffic laws, and courtesy for other driver's around them! It's not the Vehicle that's breaking the law, it's the PERSON who's Operating it! With the Human Factor, that's the ultimate test of judgement/character/rationalization, to find out who will push their limits to see what they can or can't get away with!

I don't necessarily agree with the traffic laws, myself, although I mostly follow the rules, just to avoid paying the fines (which doesn't always happen, anyway, as hard as I may try).

I believe Traffic Laws have 2 purposes, in my opinion:

20% Public Safety
80% Financial Support (Profit) to the Government (through tickets,fines, court costs, etc.)

Since there are not enough Police Officers to actually Enforce the laws, they just do the job they get paid to do, even if it doesn't seem like a fair system, always!

If there was no speed limit, everyones insurance would be WAY higher. There would be more deaths and accidents.

Dlink did you even read my original post. the german autobahn has some of the lowest crash rates in the rold. However the Fatality per Colision rate is slightly higher. but the forces involved in a 70mph crash are fatal and you are luckey to survive one anyway, 100mph, though the force at least goes up 5 ply, is still as fatal.
The whole question wasnt traffic speeds in residential and in school/constructions zones, 20mph through a school area is perfectly sensible, children are very inpredictable and most cars have the ability to stop quickly in a pnaic brake when travleing only 20mph or less.
The question is in Rural and freeway area's where traffic is minimal. Driving recklessly, and or swerving in and out of lanes to move faster than the flow of traffic is not what i am defending as it is very dangerous and is what CAUSES accidents. Because no matter how slick you are or you think you are driving recklessly pisses people off and scares people, scared people panic and make bad driving decisions, resulting in acidents, so though you may not be involved in a colision you did cause one.
My point is that travleing 70mph in a 3 lane expressway is no more dangrous than travleing 85-90mph. yet 15mph over the limit in florida is a $180 fine. and if the laws are opened up and people would think smart, then if yo uwould stay in a lane where the average flow is 90mph the colisions would be lessened and people wouldnt be on the road as long. people doing 60mph in the middle lane of a 70mph expressway with the flow of trafic moving 75-80 are the people who should be pulled over, not the people doing 80-85mph. but alas the minimum is 40mph.
In my opinion in open area's on expressways it should be just like the autobahn, only with one minor difference. You should have a reccomended speed (say 70mph as is now) a higher minimum (if you dont feel comfertable travleing at least 60-65mph in your average autmobile you dont belong on the road andi f you vehicle doesnt feel ocmfertable at 60-65mph it doesnt belong on and expressway) and then have a much higher lmit to keep what does cause a large portions of wrecks, hot heads in a semi fast vehicle trying to max it out, so say a 100mph maximum that is up to the descresion of the cop when certian weather and traffic conditions apply.
if you are comfertable travleing long distances at much more than 100mph you are crazy and dont belong on the road either unless you are driving a vehicle that is set up to handle thoes types of speeds.
granted, when travleing at higher speeds mpg goes through the floor but you have a reccomended speed that the far right hand lanes should be keeping at all times.

but this is just my idea, im not saying let people run 70mph in a residential area, im saying in rural area's, multible lane roads that are empty of pedestrians and cars, and on expressways limits should be rethought.

If we had no speed limits in town and on the highways there would be more fatalities. Can't really say about our interstates though. Some of them aren't too good.

im not saying no limit in towns, im taking about more leeway in thoes senario's when ther is light traffic and no pedestrians present.

I hate hearing the rape murder blah blah blah argument. Cops do their job. They are supposed to protect us from others and from ourselves. Traveling at high rates of speed puts us in greater danger and puts others in greater danger. Yes it can be overdone by overzealous cops, but bottom line, they are doing their job so get over it.

Also the Autobahn comments are one-sided as well. I used to live in Germany and let me just say everybody thinks they know the deal with the Autobahn, and generally they only know half.

First off, getting a license in Germany is EXTREMELY more difficult than getting one here. Here it is a joke. There you cannot get it until 18, you have to take driving school with the same instructor for months. The same guy teachs you in class and behind hte wheel, and he determines when you are ready. You don't just get taught by a parent and hop in with a tester take 2 left turns, parrallel park, and get your license. You learn and are constantly being evaluated in a stickshift car by a very knowledgable person. Bottom line, getting the license proves you ACTUALLY know HOW to drive.

2) To get on the Autobahn you need to pay an annual fee to get a sticker, so you can drive on it. Higher fees result in better care of the roads. I don't know about you, but on my state turnpike the roads are horrendous at points and cruising down them at 100mph+ can be deadly if you start hitting random potholes....and this is the turnpike I have to pay to use.

3) Only parts of the Autobahn don't have speed limits. Most parts do, and they are slower than our general highway speeds and MUCH more heavily reinforced. They have cameras everywhere. Unlike our unwritten acceptance of 15mph over the limit, those cameras nail you for 1kph over, and penalties are much more harsh.


Basically what I'm saying is the entire driving experience over there is taken much more seriously. Over here we generally accept driving as a right, there it is respected as a priveledge. People don't all get cars, they get mopeds. With the priveledge of driving, at times with no limit, comes more responsibility. They have a totally different mindset about it. And that would be more difficult to change over here than just repaving a few highways, and installing some cameras.

At the party I was at just last night I could point out 5 people that had rolled their most recent cars. So should speeding over here be taken so seriously? Yeah.

I didn't know that about driving over there. My family is in Poland and driving there is nothing like what you mentioned, but it makes perfect sense.

And I concur with everything you said, very good points :)

I think its ridiculous to say that you can't go over a certain speed. When you consider the insane variations in driver ability compounded by an even wider variation in cars on the road, saying "65 mph" is kinda like saying that .08% BAC is "impairment."

Compare a 90-year-old person loosing his/her vision, reaction time, and judgement in a classic 1934 Lincoln to a 30-year-old precision driver with 20/15 vision and an excellent sense of judgement driving a C6 vette with ABS and traction control. Saying they are both qualified to go 65 is a joke.

Traffic also thrives on more than one pattern co-existing at once. If every car went exactly 65, LA traffic would come to a standstill (more than it does now). Traffic needs the different motivations to keep it "loose." Just like shaking an hourglass. Left alone, gravity works on all the grains of sand equally. Shaking it makes some move more or less.

The very variation that safe traffic requires is what speeding laws are attempting to eliminate. Its hypocritical and all it does is take time away from catching murderers and rapists in my opinion... but then again, I'm an anarchist. :)

Its all part of a PC world where you can't discriminate against anyone. They assume that if you meet the requirements to get a license, you are exactly equal to everyone else who has a license. They therefore assume that if your BAC is .08 then you are considered dangerous enough to be illegal. Let's face it, we all know people who drive worse when sober than some people at .08, but we're not allowed to say that.

Until people reach an enlightenment, we'll have to keep dealing with the consequences; either know that we may have to pay for speeding, or slow down and be "legal."

Increasing the speed limit will only get us to try and push the limits that much more. It's the never fail situation where you're told not to do something, but you fo it to see if you can geta way with it.
On one side speeding tickets are a way of income for the city, now if the municipal spending went to where the citizens really wanted/needed then I'd have no problem. But we all know how the government works.
Myabe have the MAJOR highways with 3 lanes have one for 100km/h, and the other 2 for limitless, the inner most lane for passing of course. It is known that when you KNOW your doing something dangerous and hazardous, you are more alert and aware of the situation.
Just think of the cities that are shorthanded on cops, thikn of how much more cops can be redirected to the city instead of patrolling the highways so the city can buy the shiney new rock in font of city hall.

im from a town/city with about 100,000 population and i honestly believe that traffic tickets are this citys top priority. You cant go a week with out seeing at least 2 traffic stings/radar traps. not only that but the laws like 20 mph school zones (in effect 24/7) and pedestrians right of way at crosswalks(both common speed traps). most tickets in these are above $200 and have no chance of reduction. after i just got my $200 ticket for a school zone i turn on the tv and its the 10 o'clock news and it was talking about 6 cars jacked today from a wallmart down the street from me, couldnt but laugh at the situation. im to the point where i dont even stress tickets any more because in this town its pretty much just a fact of life that you have to deal with because just about every one has a moving violation here

tickets=money for the state. thats it.

they set those limits for safety and profit.

maybe on the highway they could be higher, but there will always be the dumba$$ that ruins it for everyone.

We should have classes for licenses but that will never happen because it will take too long and be too costly to impliment, and will REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TICKETS GIVEN and the state wont profit as much.

When talking about speed limits, there are a several factors involved:

1) The car. Is the car well maintained? Is it able to go faster, safely?

2) The driver. Is the driver able, non-impaired, good reaction time, etc?

3) The environment. What is there to cause a traffic hazard in the area?

Let's look at each in turn.

The Vehicle The example of a 1935 car and a new 'Vette was given earlier. This is an excellent point. The 'Vette is a much more able vehicle, all facets of handling and braking much better than the old car. However one point everyone has missed, is: what is the upkeep condition on the car? If the 'Vette is poorly maintained (by some rich guy who doesn't care) with bald tires, bad shocks, poor alignment, bad master cylinder, etc it might be more dangerous than the perfectly maintained (and possibly modified) older vehicle.

Based on the variability of vehicles and their age and maintenance status, a standardized, or average safe speed is reasonable. You will have numerous vehicles that are more capable, and many that are less capable, of traveling safely at whatever the limit is.

The Driver
Much more varied are the drivers in each vehicle. You can have Michael Schumacher lined up at a stop light, alongside almost blind grandma, impaired driver and inexperienced driver. The disparity in ability and experience are clear to see, and again, speed limit is an average for all drivers. We've all seen grandma or grandpa going down the highway at 15 below the limit, blocking traffic; or fretted in traffic and dreamed of being able to cruise at 70.

The Environment
School Zone vs limited access highway. Again, the comparison is obvious. Near a school, you have children, who are notoriously oblivious to traffic and other hazards. It's only reasonable to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

The highway, IMO, is a different story. Today's modern highways (in good condition) can support, and today's vehicles (also in good condition) can safely travel at higher rates of speed. The safe speed would depend on many factors of course, such as visibility, grade and curves, prevailing weather, and so forth.


In the US, the speed limits are artificially set low. Following the Arab Oil Embargo in the 70's, speed limits throughout the country were set at 55mph, as that was researched to be the speed at which the most gas would be saved by each vehicle.

While still the "best" speed to save gas, 55mph is just not practical over long distances. The time it takes to travel at 20-30mph less IMO eats up any benefit that you would gain through saving a few gallons.

In the US, there have been some studies of late into the "comfort speed", or the speed at which most traffic travels on roadways. This speed is found to be 10-15 mph over the limit in many cases. In several areas, the limit has been raised to match this speed, without any detriment. This sort of increase should be done everywhere.

I chafe at speed limits, too. But in some areas they are necessary. In others, they are too restrictive for a newer vehicle with a competent driver.