🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1994Jan18.221250.29380@research.nj.nec.com> behanna@syl.nj.nec.com (Chris BeHanna) writes:

> In article <1994Jan17.203539.23473@alw.nih.gov> pruss@helix.nih.gov (dmitry pruss) writes:
> >Most probably there're two abundant sorts of the incompenent drivers: the
> >Scared Incompetent Drivers and the Brave Incompetent Drivers. The first
> >group knows about 55 and drives 45. It _is_ dangerous, isn't it.
> >The second, more abundant group knows about 55 but never ever got fined, so
> >they go 75.
> >
> >Apparently, both of them drive at a far-from-average speed, so the
> >first-level conclusion is that legalizing an average speeed won't affect
> >the things.
> 
> 	The Fair Speed Limit Act proposes setting limits at the 85th
> percentile speed, that being the speed that 85 percent of the drivers do not
> exceed.  It so happens that the fewest accidents occur at the 85th percentile
> speed (source:  NHTSA).
> 

This means that you 55-sticklers are causing more accidents than the
average speeder (the 85th percentile speed is almost always above
posted limits where traffic allows). The non-average speeder (going
much faster than the speed limit and the average driver), makes up
the other significant camp of accident-causers. The moral of the story?
Difference in speed kills. Even if you are doing the average speed,
you shouldn't pass vehicles that are moving much slower than you
at that speed (high closing speed), but slow down a little so that
you can react to his actions and give him more chance to realize that
another car is there. I try to keep my estimated closing speed on
other traffic at less than 10 mph, 5 is even better. When not near other
traffic, I drive at what I feel is a reasonable rate.

> >Alas, there's always a chance that the brave idiots will keep making 15+
> >miles above the limit, whatever is the limit...
> 
> 	Although that's true, the _average_ speeds only rose 3 mph on roads
> upon which the speed limit was increased from 55mph to 65mph (source:  NHTSA).
> Further, although fatalities increased on those roads, total fatalities
> decreased (NHTSA).  This can be explained by more people using the roads with
> the faster speed limit, which removes traffic from backroads and busy
> thoroughfares and places that traffic onto limited-access highways, which are
> statistically safer than all other roads.
> 
> 	At any rate, since most people do not drive 55mph anyway, speed limits
> are not a reliable source for causation of accidents.
> 
> 	Remember, speed thrills.

Amen.
> 
> Later,
> -- 

Jeff Goss