by Dr. Radut

HUMAN FACTORS - Speeding

Published by DriveSmartBC -

Speed DemonIn a public opinion survey of Canadian knowledge of and attitudes towards vehicle safety features, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) found that a concerning 67.3% Canadians agree or strongly agree that vehicle safety improvements make being involved in a collision less likely, meaning that they can drive faster. In addition, 17.2% agreed or strongly agreed that they would drive the speed limit or faster if their vehicle had safety features, even though it was raining and they felt it might be risky to drive the speed limit.

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Published by Check Ride - 2015/01/31 - 21:27 | Permalink

These are the same people that like to show everyone how fast they can go in the snow as well, and I especially like it when, after they lose control on the freeway and end up on their roof in the ditch, they conveniently show all the passing traffic that the vehicle was, in fact, a 4 wheel drive.

Published by CompetentDrivingBC - 2015/01/31 - 23:12 | Permalink

... it's difficult to objectively reach any determination of what conclusions we should draw from this.

And also important to realize that, if traffic engineers mistakenly set the limit too low (a frequent occurrence, unfortunately) then those who follow the limit - particularly in the fast lane on a highway/freeway - will bunch up traffic.

If your car is parked in your driveway, and not moving, then it's unlikely to be involved in a collision; after all, it's a stationary object, just like a tree or a building.  Chances of it being involved in an accident are minimal.  So for sure, speed will almost always be a factor in collisions, and much easier for cops to cite as a cause (particularly if they weren't there to see what actually happened) for the crash that ensued.

But if that same car is being driven down an empty highway on a sunny day (let's take Hwy 5, or Hwy 19, for example) at 50 km/h over the posted limit then the chances of it being involved in an accident are also minimal so long as it's in good mechanical condition with properly inflated tires and a competent attentive driver at the wheel.

Obviously, if that driver isn't sufficiently competent or attentive, and consequently loses control, then he/she will crash much harder.  And at that point, all those airbags and seatbelts and collision structures (safety features, all of them) will come into play.

But I doubt if that's why the driver we're considering in this example would be going so fast in the first place; it could quite conceivably be because the conditions were such that this driving behaviour was reasonable and safe at that time and place, surely?

Published by Phrontistes - 2015/02/06 - 11:44 | Permalink

@CompetentDrivingBC

Surely you are not suggesting that any driver going 50 km/h over the posted limit is either competent or attentive?  The problem with the majority of drivers is that they think they have above average driving skills, which is, of course, a mathematical impossibility.

Published by CompetentDrivingBC - 2020/01/01 - 18:02 | Permalink

Surely you are not suggesting that any driver going 50 km/h over the posted limit is either competent or attentive?

I'm not suggesting that every driver who exceeds the speed limit has these qualities. But I spent several paragraphs articulating a point of view, whether you took the time - or not - to consider it.

The problem with the majority of drivers is that they think they have above average driving skills, which is, of course, a mathematical impossibility.

Mathematical gobbleldygook. Obviously, if you want to put things statistically, 50% of drivers are above average and 50% are below. And certainly, there are many who overestimate their abilities.

But let me assure you, a competent driver will be extremely attentive, and intelligent enough to realize that zooming through a 30 km/h school zone at 80+ km/h is insane.

But that's not what my post was about.

 

Behaviour
Speed