I’m the same. I think there are two types of drivers.
Those that don’t enjoy driving (like me). I tend to cruise at 100 km/h and just disconnect from the experience. The less I have to do the better. Cruise control is great. Empty road is great. I find constant overtaking and adjusting speed tiring.
Those that like driving. Those people want to drive actively all the time. Cruising is boring to them. They need the constant stimuli that comes with driving at the limit, when you need to constantly anticipate what can happen and react real fast. Without it they get tired and distracted.
I’m not sure if one way of driving causes more accidents than the other. Driving fast doesn’t necessarily mean driving dangerously. If you’re focuses on the road and don’t do anything stupid it’s probably as safe as cruising below speed limit. The problem is that both styles of driving are not compatible. I don’t like people driving 1 meter behind and they don’t like that I drive at the speed limit. Not much we can do about it though.
Yes, you’re right. I meant that someone driving 140 km/h while focusing on the road is not necessarily more likely to cause an accident than someone going 80 km/h while looking at their phone. But yes, if both crash the accident at 140 km/h will be more deadly. So yeah, I definitely would support taking away driving licenses from people that are unable to drive at the speed limit because it’s too boring for them.
Yes, you’re right. I meant that someone driving 140 km/h while focusing on the road is not necessarily more likely to cause an accident than someone going 80 km/h while looking at their phone
First, that’s scientifically wrong. When you drive faster, it is clear that your field of vision narrows and that you simply see less things, because of the speed.
Also, even if the risk for an accident happening would be the same, the consequences of an accident are larger, therefore the expected value of accident effects, which is risk times expected consequences, is larger.
And lastly, what you say with “people that are unable to drive” or “focusing on the road”, that is what all unsafe drivers tell themselves - that they are in control, that they drive better than average, that they know the risk, and so on. In reality, if they were safe drivers, they would drive slower, because speed is the factor number one in accident risk.
As I said, I tend to drive below speed limit and I hate drivers that think they’re the next Schumacher. Yes, assholes that think they are the best drivers and can get away with dangerous maneuvers are the most dangerous ones. I’m not defending them.
What I’m saying is that skilled drivers can drive faster safely. Because people in Germany do drive faster than in many other countries:
but have less accidents:
That doesn’t mean that you can remove speed limits everywhere and not have more accidents. Most probably some discipline and training is needed. But discipline and skills can compensate for the reduced field of vision at higher speeds. Obviously up to a limit. Even the greatest driver can’t drive safely at 200km/h on a highway.
Germany has better (and very, very costly) road infrastructure in parts with the motorways. On Landstrassen, die statistics are pretty bad even if the same people are driving there.
And, I don’t think it is not a convincing argument that “actually, that are not so many people that are dying, only about 3000 people per year die”.
Country roads have more accidents everywhere. But yeah, maybe it’s the better infrastructure that impacts number of accidents, not better educated drivers. I don’t think there are any statistics that can compare this fairly.
But if both of the persons you’re talking about are focused on driving, the one doing 140 km/h is probably more likely to end up in some kind of accident. Of cause this will vary on the given situation.
I hope that people driving 140 km/h are more focused on driving then I am. Driving 100 km/h in normal conditions in Spain I barely have to overtake any cars. I have to be aware of what’s more than 100 m in front of me most of the time because there’s simply nothing closer. Driving at 120+ km/h you overtake all the time, you drive way closer behind other cars and you have to check mirrors all the time. So there’s different level of focus required at higher speeds.
Exactly, more focus is required. Meaning that people are more likely to screen things up. Also, other cars around might not be so focused on the car coming from behind at high speeds, making accidents more likely - even if the high speed driver is focused.
I’m the same. I think there are two types of drivers.
Those that don’t enjoy driving (like me). I tend to cruise at 100 km/h and just disconnect from the experience. The less I have to do the better. Cruise control is great. Empty road is great. I find constant overtaking and adjusting speed tiring.
Those that like driving. Those people want to drive actively all the time. Cruising is boring to them. They need the constant stimuli that comes with driving at the limit, when you need to constantly anticipate what can happen and react real fast. Without it they get tired and distracted.
I’m not sure if one way of driving causes more accidents than the other. Driving fast doesn’t necessarily mean driving dangerously. If you’re focuses on the road and don’t do anything stupid it’s probably as safe as cruising below speed limit. The problem is that both styles of driving are not compatible. I don’t like people driving 1 meter behind and they don’t like that I drive at the speed limit. Not much we can do about it though.
There is a lot of data on that one. To start with, the consequences of a collisions are always larger if you are faster. That’s just physics.
Yes, you’re right. I meant that someone driving 140 km/h while focusing on the road is not necessarily more likely to cause an accident than someone going 80 km/h while looking at their phone. But yes, if both crash the accident at 140 km/h will be more deadly. So yeah, I definitely would support taking away driving licenses from people that are unable to drive at the speed limit because it’s too boring for them.
First, that’s scientifically wrong. When you drive faster, it is clear that your field of vision narrows and that you simply see less things, because of the speed.
Also, even if the risk for an accident happening would be the same, the consequences of an accident are larger, therefore the expected value of accident effects, which is risk times expected consequences, is larger.
And lastly, what you say with “people that are unable to drive” or “focusing on the road”, that is what all unsafe drivers tell themselves - that they are in control, that they drive better than average, that they know the risk, and so on. In reality, if they were safe drivers, they would drive slower, because speed is the factor number one in accident risk.
As I said, I tend to drive below speed limit and I hate drivers that think they’re the next Schumacher. Yes, assholes that think they are the best drivers and can get away with dangerous maneuvers are the most dangerous ones. I’m not defending them.
What I’m saying is that skilled drivers can drive faster safely. Because people in Germany do drive faster than in many other countries:
but have less accidents:
That doesn’t mean that you can remove speed limits everywhere and not have more accidents. Most probably some discipline and training is needed. But discipline and skills can compensate for the reduced field of vision at higher speeds. Obviously up to a limit. Even the greatest driver can’t drive safely at 200km/h on a highway.
Germany has better (and very, very costly) road infrastructure in parts with the motorways. On Landstrassen, die statistics are pretty bad even if the same people are driving there.
And, I don’t think it is not a convincing argument that “actually, that are not so many people that are dying, only about 3000 people per year die”.
What you also have to consider is that about 3.5 times more people die of bad air quality caused by traffic, than by traffic accidents.. So, adding to the 3000 deaths per year by traffic, we have 11,000 deaths by pollution caused by traffic. Yes, if you are speeding, you are killing other people, even if you don’t have an accident.
Country roads have more accidents everywhere. But yeah, maybe it’s the better infrastructure that impacts number of accidents, not better educated drivers. I don’t think there are any statistics that can compare this fairly.
But if both of the persons you’re talking about are focused on driving, the one doing 140 km/h is probably more likely to end up in some kind of accident. Of cause this will vary on the given situation.
I hope that people driving 140 km/h are more focused on driving then I am. Driving 100 km/h in normal conditions in Spain I barely have to overtake any cars. I have to be aware of what’s more than 100 m in front of me most of the time because there’s simply nothing closer. Driving at 120+ km/h you overtake all the time, you drive way closer behind other cars and you have to check mirrors all the time. So there’s different level of focus required at higher speeds.
Exactly, more focus is required. Meaning that people are more likely to screen things up. Also, other cars around might not be so focused on the car coming from behind at high speeds, making accidents more likely - even if the high speed driver is focused.