Speeders: Is it really worth the big risk?

Humans like speed.

We welcome its ubiquitous presence in our daily lives — Internet, fast food, roller coasters, jet airplanes — speed abounds even in our driving. That’s no wonder, either, since there are plenty of fast cars, trucks, and motorcycles to fuel our collective habit.

But we don’t need a muscle machine to exceed the posted limits — even a three-cylinder Geo Metro can go 50 mph in a 30 mph zone. We all know the penalties too — hefty fines (doubled in school and construction zones), higher insurance rates, and even loss of license for chronic offenders. So why do we do it?

I have never been one to say that speeding is categorically unsafe. It sure can be, but as I’ve said before, I’d prefer that someone exceed the limit to pass me rather than ride my rear bumper. It’s one of the road rules that, at times, many drivers like to fudge. Example — the Montanans, who only recently enacted a posted limit to replace the speed limitless free-for-all that previously existed on their highways. So the need to cover huge distance may be a reason that some drivers offer for speeding — and that might even make a little sense.

But actually, with highway speed limits around the country at 65, 70, and 75 mph, I find that the time I make at these speeds (plus 3-4 mph) to be plenty satisfying for my cross-country trips. Again, I ask, why take the risk? Especially, though, in the 25-35 mph zones, the risk (safety and sanctions) taken by speeders really leaves me aghast.

The legitimate question to ask local speeders is, “Where are you going?” A reader reminded me of the fruitless endeavor of speed when your travel is limited. For example, if you are traveling from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene, driving 10 mph over the limit gains you less than five minutes. Do the math! If you are only going from downtown to Hillyard, the most time you can save by trying to average 40 instead of 30 mph is about two minutes.

Is it worth the aggravation required to bully your way through local traffic for the minimal time saved — especially given the safety and sanction risk? I think not.

Just yesterday, an impatient driver nearly pushed me along 29th Avenue. I don’t know why he chose me to follow, as I was in the right lane at the time, going 32 mph. I wonder why he picked my lane, because there was a vehicle on my left passing me, and I thought that my follower should have followed him. The vehicle to my left was passing me in a gradual mode — about 1 mph faster than I was going, and maybe my car looked faster or something, so Mr. Impatient made like a NASCAR driver, and drafted me for a while.

Finally, he figured out that I was not going to open up the road for him on my side, and he swerved over behind the other guy. Darned if that guy wasn’t about to turn left, though, so the Jeff Gordon wannabe swerved back behind me to clear the turner, then careened back to the left lane to blow by me. When I say swerved and careened, I mean it — his SUV had more lean than the Tower of Pisa. Oh, he stared me down as he passed too — and all I ever did was maintain a constant speed in the right lane. I always try to imagine what the reason is for bad driving — in this case, all I could come up with was high alcohol, or low IQ.

So please, try to be aware of your speed in relation to the posted limits. Varying from it can lead to many things, most of them bad. It’s difficult to drive faster than the main flow of traffic, and doing so will only lead to road rage for you and others. When you try to justify the speeding on a time basis, the figures just don’t add up.

Valuable Input

Thanks for your e-mail responses. I’m encouraged to hear from so many precision drivers. It’s comforting to hear from those who try to drive well, as you voice your frustrations with those who don’t. There are even other drivers out there who verify their highway speeds like I do — but not with a stopwatch — they use a Global Positioning System!