Drivers 'just can't help' speeding

[StlouisX50]

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/09/...eeding-231334/

[rocky2]

People can't help but speed because the limits are too low.

[swarga]

It's difficult because it's a bogus artificial restriction.

Imagine if someone told you to walk but told you that you could only take one step every 30 seconds. Your natural pace is much faster, and it takes intense concentration (and a good stopwatch) to keep your speed under the artificial limit.

[lugnuts]

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the IAM said: ‘It’s good to know most people want to stay within the law when it comes to speeding, but too many seem to find it challenging. The results suggest that people are aware of the limit and don’t want to break it, but temptation and pressure from other traffic may push them to go faster.'

WRONG!!! the results show the speed limits are waaaaaay too low! people are only aware of the speed limit because they don't want to be stopped by the roadside tax collector.

[Stealth Stalker]

Imagine if someone told you to walk but told you that you could only take one step every 30 seconds. Your natural pace is much faster, and it takes intense concentration (and a good stopwatch) to keep your speed under the artificial limit.

Maybe. But there'd sure be a lot fewer pedestrian vs. pedestrian accidents!

But I reject the premise that there is a "natural pace". It is what you make it. You either have self-control, or you don't.

[swarga]

But I reject the premise that there is a "natural pace".

Then you reject the whole notion of the 85th Percentile Speed.

[Stealth Stalker]

Yeah. Like most laws, it's total BS that some bureaucrat pulled randomly out of his or her arse.

[v1user]

Yeah. Like most laws, it's total BS that some bureaucrat pulled randomly out of his or her arse.

See new quote in sig.

[swarga]

Yeah. Like most laws, it's total BS that some bureaucrat pulled randomly out of his or her arse.

Actually, the 85th percentile speed is a sound engineering principle having nothing to do with any bureaucrats. Bureaucrats are the ones who pull random numbers out of their arses and have them painted onto signs. Unlike most speed limits, the 85th percentile speed has an actual scientific basis.

[Stealth Stalker]

The basis may be scientific, however that does not make it valid. And if it's not valid, it's BS, scientific or not.