Technically, with the speed of traffic. But you’re also technically safer driving a big ass truck, for example. It’s the same fallacy.
Personally, you are safer driving with the traffic. Collectively, it is better to follow speed limits.
Personally, you’re safer driving a giant truck. Collectively, they lead to much more lethal outcomes for pedestrians/cyclists/everyone else.
Any attempts at blaming those going by the limit are picking the wrong people to blame and shifting public opinion towards practices that are bad for road safety. We should all drive by the limit, not all drive above it. That’s the safest way.
And if someone driving by the limit is causing inconvenience to speeders, yes, the speeders are to blame. It is them who sacrifice the safety of us all to get to their destination 12% faster.
Do increased speed limits and better infrastructure go in as well? The reason people speed is generally because the limits don’t match the road and cars of today’s day and age.
It’s just that your car’s brakes are not the only factor at play here. So is your reaction time, unexpected conditions, and more. At elevated speeds, you may be unable to properly monitor the conditions on the road and react in unexpected situations in due time. Driving a straight road can make a driver overconfident, by it takes one wild deer or one accident in front of you to quickly come back to reality that you don’t have it all controlled.
I’m afraid I can’t control the actions of others, but what can I do to be safer myself?
Advocate for speed camera installation, and if you have programs that allow you to install your own speed cam, go for it.
No I mean like while driving. Is it safer for me to drive at normal speed (the flow of traffic), or to drive exactly the speed limit.
Technically, with the speed of traffic. But you’re also technically safer driving a big ass truck, for example. It’s the same fallacy.
Personally, you are safer driving with the traffic. Collectively, it is better to follow speed limits.
Personally, you’re safer driving a giant truck. Collectively, they lead to much more lethal outcomes for pedestrians/cyclists/everyone else.
Any attempts at blaming those going by the limit are picking the wrong people to blame and shifting public opinion towards practices that are bad for road safety. We should all drive by the limit, not all drive above it. That’s the safest way.
And if someone driving by the limit is causing inconvenience to speeders, yes, the speeders are to blame. It is them who sacrifice the safety of us all to get to their destination 12% faster.
Do increased speed limits and better infrastructure go in as well? The reason people speed is generally because the limits don’t match the road and cars of today’s day and age.
Speed limits did increase with the evolution of cars: https://blog.americansafetycouncil.com/the-history-of-speed-limits-in-america/
It’s just that your car’s brakes are not the only factor at play here. So is your reaction time, unexpected conditions, and more. At elevated speeds, you may be unable to properly monitor the conditions on the road and react in unexpected situations in due time. Driving a straight road can make a driver overconfident, by it takes one wild deer or one accident in front of you to quickly come back to reality that you don’t have it all controlled.