Are Fast Drivers Cool or Stupid?

While searching the web for reports on speeding I found many different participants interested in the speeding issue from all walks of life. Many people including the magazine Car & Driver, July 1994issue promoted speeding and even disscussed ways to speed and beat the law. Most people in support of speeding wanted to change exisitng speed limits for being to slow. While the few who looked down on speeding, urged speeding drivers to reduce their speed for the sake of safety.

According to one Mr. Carleton our government is "delibrately setting the speed limit too low, and then sending out cops to sneak behind motorists is highway robbery disguised as traffic safety enforcement... [in a traffic court] the robber is the plaintiff and the victim is the accused..." Mr. Carlton is not alone in his beliefs in fact he is apart of a great many other angry drivers filling the internet with ways to get around traffic laws (see Fight that Speeding Ticket). Like his comrades Mr. Carlton believes that he is capable of driving his car the way he likes. He has been driving for years and knows the the limits of weather and road conditnions,he is very aware of how to drive his car in bad conditions and nobody should worry about how fast he is going but himself.

In contrast there are those that are in support of speed limits those who believe in safe drivieng. Sadly I found that most of those so adamently in opposition of speeding were the berieved parents or families of people killed in car accidents due to speeding. It is a terrible thing to lose a loved one and even worse when the accident could have been prevented if only they had the common sence to just drive a little slower. One of article I found (SPEEDING MYTHS AND FACTS)discussed the negatives of speeding in general bringing up the more money spent on gas, the cost of speeding tickets, and the over all increase in annual premiums to get your car insured if you have a traffic record. Truely speeding is a highly expensive besides being dangerous.

To be a Rad Racer or Not to be?

I can only say that I like to drive fast I really do even my mom likes to speed, and she taught me how to drive so go figure. However, if you weigh the risks is speeding really worth it? We cannot control are cars adequetly at high speeds. Speed limits are posted for a reason, and that is to provide a safer highways for every one. From a Traffic Psychologist's perspective I can only asentuate on the negative characteristics of speeding. Speeding does not alow any driver adequete time to observe and react to road conditons, thus making road conditions unsafe. However, speed limits are not keeping people from driving fast. Rules are made to be broken, the only sure way to illeviate speeding would be to make the attendance of traffic psychology seminars requiered on lisence renewal. If all drivers could successfuly compleat a driving make over. I think the roads would be a safer place.

Instructor's Home Page

Report 1: What is Traffic Psychology

Report 2: What's the big deal about tailgating?

Report4:What is a Driving Personality Makeover?

Report 5: CARtoon

Report 6: My Self Witnessing Driving Experiment

Report 8: Incorperating Traffic Psychology to Driving Topics on the Internet

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