Surprise, surprise- another post about driving!
Actually... I don't think I've all that many posts about driving. But I think about it a LOT, and I talk about it a lot. So maybe I just feel like I have. But I don't think I actually have.
Anyway.
So, this isn't about the stupid shit people do when they drive. This is about the laws.
See, speed limits are ridiculous. I'm pretty sure that they're the most often broken, and probably the most egregiously broken, laws in the United States, if not the world. And why?
Well, let's think about it: the police only really care if you're going 10+mph over the limit. Only in small towns will you get stopped for going 6mph over the speed limit. Me, I now live a few moments from the Capital Beltway, and I frequently drive on the Beltway. And on the Beltway, where the speed limit- that's the *limit*- is 55mph, most people drive 65+mph. It's not unusual at all to see people driving over 70mph; people driving minivans, SUV's, maybe with small children in the back seat, people in old cars, people in clunky old things, etc., they all blow away the 'limit'. "Oh, shit- there's a cop!" *brakes*... 55mph... 45... 45... 50... "OK, he's gone!" 55... 65... 73......
Why? Why is it called a "speed *limit*"? Presumably (having done NO research on this, just logically considering the name) it would be because that is estimated to be the fastest one can drive in that area.
OK, but clearly, that's bullshit. I'm NOT going to say what I personally do, because I'm not about to risk implicating myself in any illegal activities, but I do know many people who drive well above the limit, and I see people all the time who drive faster than the posted legal 'limit', and I'd say that they have as many car accidents, as often, as everyone else. (Well, I say 'everyone else', but I really don't know many people at *all* who actually drive the posted limit. And I don't know anyone who drives below the posted limit- which presumably you would do, because that's the *limit*, the *fastest* you can go, so wouldn't you drive below it most of the time?
Yeah. No. I can practically see you shaking your head and being amused at the suggestion. No, of fucking course you don't. That's ludicrous.
Why is the limit so low? I say the limit (as least on the Beltway) should be around... oh, 80mph? 75mph? Yeah, that sounds crazy-fast... but people regularly drive that fast. And they do it while other people are driving 55, or 45, or slower, and that's dangerous. There is a general rule that you should always try to stay in the furthest right lane- only go left to pass people. Theoretically, this means that the slower people stay right, and the fastest go around them, and there are no conflicts. People don't do this. I'll admit, I sometimes forget that I should really go right; and then someone will pass me on the right, and I'll go, "oh, yeah!" and change lanes to the right. But I've been in that left lane, and suddenly there's someone doing 40mph there. That's dangerous.
I'm rambling, and I don't know what I'm going to say next, so I'm just going to go back to my point:
GET RID OF 55mph SPEED LIMITS on major highways! Practically NO ONE follows them anyway! Make 5mph a *recommended* speed- even put that on the signs- but the *LIMIT* should be around 80mph. Because people are going to drive that anyway. Reinforce the "stay to the right" guideline. And since traffic light cameras and speed cameras are already becoming a 'thing' everywhere, let's just go all-out; speed cameras everywhere. It's not unreasonable to ask you to follow an 80mph limit. Make the 'limit' and actual *limit*, where if you break it you *will* get in trouble, because beyond that speed it will be pretty dangerous.
I feel like this wasn't worded well, I rambled, and I kind of lost it... not a very strong argument. Maybe I'll post more on this later. But for now, bye. Again.
