According to the thecarconnection.com, National Highway Safety Administration/NHTSA chief Jeffery Runge says his agency is preparing an initiative to crack down on speeding on the nation's roads. The Wall Street Journal reports that Runge wants the NHTSA to counter the rise in high-horsepower performance cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette with technologies like speed cameras and increased patrolling. Runge says the agency has been working for two years to identify where speeding is most harmful and has found that it's local roads, not the interstates, where the fatality rate is higher. The NHTSA cites controversial studies showing an increase in fatalities or roads where speed limits were raised in 1995 from 55 s evidence that a crackdown on speed is needed.

 

I think he's right about one thing ... it's not the interstates and freeways.

Speeding is certainly a problem, but I think there's too much concentration solely on speeding ... other things are important too, perhaps equally so, such as not using signals for turns and lane changes, inattentiveness, use of cell phones while driving, etc.

 

It's not speed that kills it's speed differential. Most accidents (car to car) are not caused by lone cars traveling above the posted speed limit. They are caused by people driving like idiots or above their skill level. I have no problem with someone traveling well above the speed limit (hell, most of the time it's me) as long as they are paying attention and not swerving in and out of traffic changing lanes every 100 yards. If traffic is thick and moving at 55 MPH give it up and stay with the flow of traffic. If it's a nice morning on an interstate out in the country with little or no other traffic, let her rip as long as you are prepared to accept the LE consequences and not whine about being profiled. It is lack of a sense of aftermath that causes crashes.

 

wy are they always pickin on me

 

yep and slow drivers are responsible for more accidents than the other way around......

either way it looks good for the cruise up to CI :

 

 

Dang!

 

Read an article not to long ago about our interstate highway system and how Eisenhower stated that it should be just like the Autobahn.
On most inderstates, except those meeding major maintenance, there is no reason speeds could not be in excess of 90 mph.
This may just be Ohio, but I think a lot of it applies in other states
The problems seem to be:
Lack of driver training.
Poor maintenance on vehicles.
Inattentive drivers.
In a lot of states you can be ticketed for going to slow. Not here.
A lot of states will not let you "just drive" in the passing (Left) lane. Not here.

There are a lot of skilled drivers out there. People who have been trained, or have trained themselves to handle a vehicle in a lot of situations, but for each one of those you have ten brain dead morons that should "take the bus."

One Indy car driver said not to long ago that the average driver in America should be limited to a top speed of 45 mph.

I am sure that the NTSB, Green Cross for Safety and the rest are very unhappy that any Joe Baggadonuts can walk in and purchase a vehile that will do 200 mph. Why, because the feds and the states do not take the time to 'train" anyone in the skills needed to travel our roadways. All they can do is point fingers <period>

I guess that is the end of my Rant.

 

 

As cars and tires have gotten better drivers tend to drive faster. Everything is so much quieter (my 68 Camaro at 60 sounds and feels like you are doing 100- and it is restored to total orginal) and they do not realize that they are going as fast as they are. These are the people who do not have the experience nor attention to go that fast. Then the stupid cell phone talkers. I do not believe it is only speed that is the problem. Quick lane changing can cause loss of control or cause others to hit their brakes and then a chain reaction problem. The NHTSB always quoates speed as the major problem. Car and Driver has done many articles on studies that prove that speed is not the major factor.

 

If they ticketed the speeders in Nashville, no one would be left on the road.

 

It's the morons that cause the problems.....both fast AND slow ones.

I'm usually safer at "speed" than at 65 or 70. I get bored just loafing along.....but even then, I don't loaf and block traffic or tailgate

OR pass someone then pull back in 10 feet in front of them

It's THE MORONS

 

I see the old "it's not my fault" syndrome is alive and well.

 

It amazes me that the auto industry doesn't try to lobby for less speed traps and more driver education. Its to their benefit that people learn to use the power that today's automobiles put out in a safe manner. What the NHTSA should do is push for stricter driver's license tests, ask everyone to renew their license every 5 years with a "rules of the road" test (no parking or uturn bs), crack down on cell phone users, people who drive SLOW in the left lane and people who don't signal, etc. Here in NY, there are speed traps everywhere. Its getting to a point where people around here will be forced into buying Aveos just so that they won't be tempted to go over 50 (which is our ridiculous city/suburb speed limit).

 

I believe the Forum guys are correct! If the LE ticket speeders, the NHTSA and politicians can ignore the real problems (untrained drivers, cell phone users, inattentive drivers.......the list goes on)!!

 

Down here in Florida we have a big problem with the blue hairs from up north driving 50 mph in all lanes... dangit

 

What does that mean

 

Anyone who thinks or belives it is speed as the causitive factors has not travelled on the german autobahns. When 4 lane wide, bumper to bumber traffic can run in excess of 100 miles an hour for hours and no one bumps of forces a lane change, you have drivers education exhibited. Try that in the US of A. German drivers are not also cell-phoning, eating a brochen (Bun) od doing her nails or combing his hair. They have 2 hands on the wheel and are driving the car and most do it quite well.

It is getting so bad here in the US that even NASCAR cannot have a non-bumbing event, again attesting to drivers education, mental maturity, and competency to operate a motor vehicle within a set of safety-oriented rules.

 

Speed kills!! The drug that is!! Go get'em!

 

When I go out and drive on Route 202 here in PA, people are cruising along at 65-70 (in a 55 mph zone) and the only problems occur when some idiot swerves over into the far left lane just so they can go 55. That's what causes accidents.

I'm not trying to pick on a specific gender or nationality, just drive around here for a few days and you'll figure it out.

The LEO's need to start ticketing people for bad (not fast) driving. Oh, and maybe make sure that the people getting licenses can read and speak English.