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Re: The Federal Study that Finds Speed Limits Irrelevant...



bparekh@directnet.com (Behram Viraf Parekh) wrote:
...

>Having driven quite a lot in europe, its not safer in general, only on
the
>"freeway" equivalents, and only in western european countries (excluding
>italy, which is insane).

>Driving in the cities (excluding most of germany) is nuts, with people
going 
>every which direction, cutting in and out, etc... etc... and having
witnessed 
>god knows how many fender benders, accidents happen quite as often, if
not 
>more so, than out here (based on Los Angeles/Bay Area driving
experience).

>What is noticeable on the freeway equivalents, though, is a respect for
the 
>other driver, especially by those in slower moving vehicles (and by
slower, I 
>mean, slower than *me*, not slower than X arbitrary speed). Drivers move
out 
>of the way of faster cars, just because I'm going 75 doesn't mean I sit
in 
>the fast lane, and people actually use their rearview mirror during
regular 
>freeway driving to check for cars coming up behind them and stay current
with 
>the flow of traffic *all* around them, not just the car in front of them.

I think there are two types of fast lane blockers:  One is the guy who
feels that it's his job to enforce the speed limit and likes to play games
with those who try to get around him.  The other is the guy who is driving
as fast as he dares and starts passing someone only to find that that
person speeds up once he's being passed (which happens all of the time). 
Both are a direct result of the ridiculously low speed limits on
limited-access freeways.  No one wants to get a ticket and everyone (not
quite) wants to keep or improve his place in line.  If speed limits were
raised to a reasonable level on freeways, or removed, and lane and merging
discipline were strictly enforced, things would get sorted out so you
could get somewhere safely on U.S. freeways.

>I agree that driver education in America is pathetic/non-existent. But
what 
>really needs to change more than driving *skill* is driving *attitude*.
What 
>ends up getting people into accidents is generally inattention. But what 
>makes driving a chore rather than a pleasure is the guy doing 60 in the
fast 
>lane, the guy with his left turn signal on while making a right hand lane

>change, the lack of knowledge on how the merge correctly, and the idea
that 
>it's my car, my road, and you'd best figure out how to drive around me, 
>'cause I'm not moving.

I was astounded when my niece came to live with us in California and got
her driver's license here for the first time.  She never had to get on or
off a freeway or change lanes at all.  It's no wonder that there are
drivers who drive onto a freeway entrance ramp and stop, or merge into 70
m.p.h. lanes of traffic at 40.  But of course, if incompetent drivers were
kept off the road, then there would be a smaller market for cars and the
people who sell cars have a powerful lobby and we don't.

Mark Folsom


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