I'm with Deeb on this one. In the hands of an alert, sober driver, the Ford GT and the Vette are safer at 230 km/h than a P.O.S. driven at the speed limit by a bored incompetent fishing for a cassette on the floor. The latter is perfectly legal while the former is criminalized. Does this make sense? No. Clearly, just because something is a law does not automatically make it right.
Unfortunately, our traffic laws are geared for the lowest common denominator in our society. They are geared for Granny in her beater ’72 Vega to make sure she does not crash while putting on her makeup on the Interstate. The rest of us are forced to trundle along at that same speed regardless of the better condition of our vehicles, reflexes, skill or attentiveness.
Not everyone has access to a race track, nor do I think that fast driving should be restricted to race tracks. The answer is in better drivers and better highways. Effective driver training and improved highways would do much more to reduce road fatalities than any amount of prescriptive, punitive laws aimed at the lowest common denominator at the cost of the enjoyment of our cars and efficient travel by everyone else.
Like Deeb, I'm from Canada. In my area, there are many months at a time during the year when there are effectively no speed limits and drivers are forced to use their own judgment. When the road is a sheet of ice, driving the speed limit will put you in the ditch or into oncoming traffic. Instead of the automatic carnage that the "speed kills!" Safety Nazi Naderites would predict, drivers are forced to actually pay attention, assess the conditions, and drive accordingly.
I need not remind folks that when Montana eliminated speed limits, the highway fatality rate actually dropped.
Also, if I recall correctly, our speed limits have not increased in something like 50 years, despite all of the incredible advances in automotive technology that have transpired during that period.
With all possible respect, Husker, and I feel badly for your friend, but I don’t think it is legal to change lanes without first checking to make sure there are no other cars in that lane (in Canada, I believe you would be charged with an “unsafe lane change”). As I am sure you know, in Germany it is routine to have vehicles traveling more than 150 mph in the fast lane, and this is not considered a problem because before changing lanes people check their mirrors first – as they should here in North America.
In my personal experience, I recall an incident some years ago wherein I was passing a string of cars (at a speed much less that 150 mph), and someone pulled out right in front of me. Even though the speed differential was much lower than in the incident with Husker’s friend, it was still everything I could do to avoid rear-ending them. This was a situation which could have been easily avoided if they had just had the basic competence to check their rearview mirror before pulling out to pass.
Husker, as you yourself stated, not only did your friend fail to check that the fast lane was clear before moving into it, but when she realized her mistake she then over-corrected and caused her vehicle to roll. I take your point that if everyone drove the speed limit, including in the fast lane, then her accident may not have happened. However, the reductio ad absurdum of that logic is that all accidents could be prevented if we were all required to stop driving and stay home. Life requires calculated risk and, in my admittedly subjective view, I would rather see drivers forced to pass mandatory training and testing of a sufficient standard to prevent the errors made by your friend than to restrict our freedom to enjoy efficient or spirited driving.
However, I should qualify my comments by noting that weaving in and out of lanes, passing on the right, failing to signal and a number of other imprudent and reckless things done by the Ford GT driver in the video were not something I support. I agree that this kind of behaviour spoils things for the rest of us who may want to drive quickly without endangering others. In Canada, thanks to a few morons who managed to kill bystanders while racing their rice rockets in densely populated urban areas, street racers are now demonized in the press and this has resulted in some new and Draconian laws. Now if I want to pick up the pace with the Pantera on some deserted highway where I endanger no one, I’m subject to the same penalties which include criminal charges, loss of driving privileges and confiscation of my car. Again, the nanny state Safety Nazis win and we have yet more laws geared to the lowest common denominator.
- Peter
