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Re: Speed Kills
In article <47mdrv$qeb@hpscit.sc.hp.com>, miken@news.an.hp.com (Mike Nakagawa) says:
>Does anyone have a reference regarding the dangers of speed differences in
>traffic?
I recall a Dr. Cole (GM Research Center) discussing this in his book on
Highway Safety, which I saw in the Transportation Section of Borders.
He explored the obvious aspect -- high speed differentials and the risk when
low speed traffic pulls into the path of high speed traffic. However, he lapsed
into socio-babble (teutonic rigour, etc.) when his theory failed to explain how
the autobahns had high speed differentials and were also safe.
I submit that low speed differentials -- common on interstates where traffic
cruises in clumps at 55/65 -- are the less obvious case but almost as
dangerous and perhaps more annoying.
Low speed differentials mean that one car needs an excessively large amount
of time or road space to create a gap with the car alongside, into which it can
merge, exit, yield or pass. But since time and road space are limited, one
either obstructs the free flow of traffic or runs out of road space.
Worse, if one recognises only high speed differentials as "dangerous", then
"safety" requires that these be either reduced or eliminated. Hence, the
treatment of speed limits as limiting speeds (like that of light) and their setting
at overly low levels.
Combined with the collapse of lane discipline (which is then no longer
required), highways present a bizarre but predictable picture.
With open road ahead, lead cars "do the limit" and refuse to yield, forcing
others to tailgate in clumps; lane usage is unbalanced, right empty, left full;
empty highways feel congested; speeds, capacity, efficiency, safety fall;
annoyance, aggravation, frustration, disputes rise.
I submit that the safety vs. speed differential is a parabola: minimum safety
with very high/low differentials, maximum with moderate differentials. In
other words, speed differentials are like lubricants: too little and the road
jams up; too much and it is too "slippery".
Personal views, of course.
Nitin Kibe.
References: