Despite decades of public service announcements about the dangers of speeding, the problem is alive and well today. A common reason for this is that it's easy to do and doesn't feel dangerous. Cars have powerful engines and have very smooth and quiet rides.
When sitting on comfortable upholstery and surrounded by music, it's easy to forget that a wrong movement of the hand on the steering wheel can kill the occupants of the car. People also speed because of attitudes shaped by common myths. Here are three of them:
My Car Will Protect Me in an Accident
It is true that today's cars are far safer than those of past decades. They have better bumpers and energy absorbing crumple zones. The occupants of cars benefit from airbags and seatbelts (if they wear them). …show more content…
Traffic lights and other cars will impede your progress. It's extremely difficult to maintain a consistent high speed no matter how aggressively you drive. However, the consequences of a car accident during the times you are traveling fast can be quite severe. The destructive energy of a collision with a solid object goes up with the square of your speed.
On interstate highways with light traffic, you can maintain a consistent high speed. However, the time saved is small. For example, if you commute 30 miles, driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will only save you 3.7 minutes. This is hardly worth the risk or the extra fuel. In order to save any appreciable time, the distances must be very large. In the previous example, you would have to travel 500 miles to save about an hour of time.
If You Drive the Speed Limit, You Aren't Speeding
Speed limits are established for ideal road conditions. When they're wet or slippery with ice or snow, your braking distance increases because of the reduced wheel traction with the road. If you get into an accident in wet conditions while driving at the posted speed limit, your speed will be a contributing factor when establishing
When sitting on comfortable upholstery and surrounded by music, it's easy to forget that a wrong movement of the hand on the steering wheel can kill the occupants of the car. People also speed because of attitudes shaped by common myths. Here are three of them:
My Car Will Protect Me in an Accident
It is true that today's cars are far safer than those of past decades. They have better bumpers and energy absorbing crumple zones. The occupants of cars benefit from airbags and seatbelts (if they wear them). …show more content…
Traffic lights and other cars will impede your progress. It's extremely difficult to maintain a consistent high speed no matter how aggressively you drive. However, the consequences of a car accident during the times you are traveling fast can be quite severe. The destructive energy of a collision with a solid object goes up with the square of your speed.
On interstate highways with light traffic, you can maintain a consistent high speed. However, the time saved is small. For example, if you commute 30 miles, driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will only save you 3.7 minutes. This is hardly worth the risk or the extra fuel. In order to save any appreciable time, the distances must be very large. In the previous example, you would have to travel 500 miles to save about an hour of time.
If You Drive the Speed Limit, You Aren't Speeding
Speed limits are established for ideal road conditions. When they're wet or slippery with ice or snow, your braking distance increases because of the reduced wheel traction with the road. If you get into an accident in wet conditions while driving at the posted speed limit, your speed will be a contributing factor when establishing