[quote=garysears]I agree that excessive speed can kill but it isn’t the main issue. The main issue is that idiot not paying attention who is about to do something irrational, for whom looking down the road is not the #1 priority. Driving slower wouldn’t necessarily mean fewer accidents. There are a ridiculous number of fender benders in stop and go traffic.
Most speed limits are overly conservative because they account for worst case scenarious with a HUGE margin thrown in. The fact is driving is really too easy. I am a more dangerous driver when I am mindlesslessly driving along on the interstate at 60mph because I go off into a daydream out of boredom. That lack of awareness is what kills.
Speed limits and fines are nothing more than a revenue generator for the state. They are set in such a way to really hamper the way the majority of the people would normally, safely operate vehicles. That restriction is why people resent and don’t respect speed limits. Fines don’t change behavior and frankly moderate speeding isn’t dangerous. It is more about relative speed (faster or even worse slower).
I think a better method of reducing accidents would be to just hold people accountable for failures. Absolutely hammer people at fault for any accident, no matter how minor. I’m talking several thousand dollar fine for a fender bender. Maybe license suspension/revocation if you are at fault in an accident. That incentive would make people pay attention and reduce fatalities while freeing drivers from the heavy hand of our nanny state.[/quote]
While I see some of what you say about speed limits/state income, I tend to disagree that nailing people to the wall for accidents would reduce accidents. We nail people for drunk driving, and yet people still drive drunk. It isnt even an education thing, cause there is drunk driving education/warnings all over the freaking place. We know it is wrong, we know it is dangerous, and yet we still do it. The only thing nailing people for every little in infraction would do effectivly is increase the number of people leaving the site of an accident.
