The Need For Speed
Over two-thirds of Americans speed, but why?
According to a 2005 report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, most people believe that there is a “buffer zone” over the speed limit in which you won’t get pulled. And truth be told, there is. It’s five miles per hour over in the city, ten miles per hour over on Interstates and other divided highways, at least according to the cops we hang out with.
“I speed within the buffer,” one FITS reader says.
“I go with the flow of traffic,” another says.
Of course, drive more than twenty miles per hour over and the cops – at least S.C. cops – have the right to take you to jail.
A few years ago, in an effort to demonstrate the lunacy of speed limits (and win an independent short film competition), a group of college students in Atlanta decided to abide by them – in the middle of rush hour traffic.
The result? Mayhem.
For his part, our founding editor Sic Willie – once a speed demon – now keeps it at or below the limit. He also buckles up, but only because his car has an annoying beeping sound that won’t go away unless he does.
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Comments
By Ivan on July 16th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Ever notice that a lot of people seem to be driving faster than the speed limit?
It might surprise you to learn that if speed limits were based on traffic engineering standards, as required by federal law, this would never happen. Most drivers choose safe speeds on their own, so the engineering standard is to set a speed limit near the 85th percentile speed of free flowing traffic. That means the violation rate should be 15% or less. A majority of speeding cars is proof that the speed limit is too low.
By Fashizzle on July 16th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Surely you don’t suggest the government would artificially set speed limits too low to ensure a steady stream of “violators” than can be fined and raise revenue for the state…
By Crooner on July 16th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Why? I got important sh*t to do, and I’m not talking on my cell phone. Get the hell outta my way.
By CNSYD on July 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Obviously the whole speeding deal is revenue enhansement. Case in point. I have an Escort detector. I passed a SCHP car “hidden” at an overpass. The limit on this part of the interstate was 60. I was doing approx. 72. Cop pulls out and comes after me. My detector has yet to beep. He claims to have “clocked” me at 72. Since I am such a “nice guy”, he will only write it for 69. I later called the Escort company. They said there was no way he could have been using any type of speed detection device as the model detector I have covers everything the cops use. Of course I am screwed. How can I go to court and tell the Judge the cop is lying as my detector did not go off? Ever notice that the death rate on the Autoban is low yet you can drive any speed you wish?
By Fashizzle on July 16th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
You mean to tell me cops lie? I am shocked, shocked!
By K Trane on July 16th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Driving the speed limit in Atlanta = Suicide!
By James the Foot Soldier on July 17th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Mr. Folks, 4 others, and myself understand the meaning of the word “limit”.
I do it for two reasons:
#1 -I get an extra day’s drive out of a tank of gas.
#2 – It pisses off the knuckle-draggers in big-honkin’ tru-hucks that are compensating for their tiny penises.
By peewee on July 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
Watch out on Taylor Street! The “Heat” patrol is very active there!