PSYCHOLOGY 409A March 24, 2006

Outline 7:

SPEED LIMITS: THE GREAT MOTORISTS REBELLION

By Lincoln James Whyte

Leon James and Diane Nahl (2000). Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books). pp 236- 253.

Instructions for this activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Concept 1: What Constitutes Speeding?

Many motorists believe for many different reasons that the posted speed limits do not actually apply in reality. Here are some reasons some people may give for speeding:

• There are no other cars around
• Everybody else is speeding so I am just trying to keep with the flow of traffic
• The speed limits are set arbitrarily low for people who are unskilled or inexperienced drivers; I’m a good enough driver to handle my car at higher speeds
• My car can handle the speed better than other cars; the speed limit is set low for older cars with poorer breaking and handling abilities
• If I go slow other drivers will get mad at me
• Its not the speed that kills people it’s the skill level
• Speed limits are set without the road conditions, traffic flow/ volume, curved vs. straightness of road, etc. in mind
• Speed is a minor causal factor in accidents
• Other countries, like those in Europe, have higher speed limits and their roads aren’t a constant crash site

Many other drivers who drive the speed limit still wish they could speed but only refrain because of the fear of receiving a ticket. These drivers when put on an empty road will also speed. One of the reasons that people justify their speeding with is because they are skilled enough to do it. But if this was incorporated into the law, speed limit 55 mph, 75 mph if you are a good driver in a higher performance vehicle, how are police supposed to judge who is the more skilled drivers and who to give tickets to?

Concept 2: Is Speeding Really the Problem?

Many people question the claim that speeding is the cause of accidents.

No

- studies show that speed is not as much of a causal factor in accidents as is reported

- carelessness, incompetent drivers, cars in poor condition, distractions, weather, etc are more likely to cause accidents

- speed limits are often set lower than what many drivers consider to be comfortable speeds for a given road, therefore they are being forced to drive at an uncomfortably slower speed because of fear of a ticket, or they will speed. This variability in speed is dangerous not the speed itself.

But

      -    increased speed provides less time to react

- higher speeds increase the chance of an accident being fatal, and increase the amount of damage

- speed limits create a steady and predictable flow of traffic which reduces the risk of accidents and the chance for road rage

- if a person is inattentive, or unskilled, the speed at which they are traveling can have a great impact on the outcome. Vehicles are harder to control at higher speeds, the distance traveled at a higher speed for a given period of time is greater, and thus there is a higher chance of hitting something or someone, and not being able to correct in time

- a longer distance is needed to slow down/ stop

- following distances need to be greater

Although speeding it self is not the cause of many accidents it magnifies the negative effects and increases the damage and destruction that automobile accidents create.

Related Links:

1) Tips on speeding in the USA

http://www.users.cloud9.net/~hennessy/how2speed.html

I picked this link because it is a perfect example of how people disregard the posted speed limits and create their own based on their skills and abilities plus the capabilities of their vehicles. These are some tips given on how to speed without being caught by the police. My favorite quote from this link is the last thing at the very bottom of the article, “Speed Safely”.

2) Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed Limits

http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel.html

I chose this paper because it tries to determine whether raising or lowering the speed limit actually have an effect on safety which goes very well with what is talked about in this chapter. The results show that the change in speed limits did not have an effect on the speed that the vehicles were driving at, and that the posted speed limits are usually slower than the actual flow of traffic.

3) A Meditation On The Speed Limit

http://www.campusmoviefest.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/IdeaFlow.woa/wa/showAMovie?movieID=978

This is a very interesting movie in which a group of drivers block off all the lanes of a highway by driving the speed limit side by side. All the other drivers behind them become enraged that they cannot speed. They honk, yell, finger, and even pass on the shoulder just to go above the speed limit. This video was done to show that the current speed limits are too slow.

My Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/whyte/home.htm

G24 Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm