The video is very well balanced indeed. But I disagree that your comment insinuates that "speed bad" is on equal footing as "I know how to drive" arguments. Both are missing some context but one is just far better supported by facts than the other. The Autobahn is safe in spite of the speeds not because of it. Higher standards for getting a license, stricter enforcement of law, better maintained infrastructure etc. It is fundamental physics that higher speeds are more dangerous. More energy involved means high fatality rates. Higher speed means shorter braking distance and shorter reaction times. Higher speeds also mean your eyes have less time to take in your surroundings and start to tunnel vision in the center of the roads. Studies have proven this. Reducing speed variability is only as effective relative to other cars, not everything else that is slower or stationary. Higher max speeds also introduce a wider range of allowed speeds. People not obeying the speed limit is a road design issue, not a speed limit issue. Design the road around a speed limit, not the speed limit around the road. The other side of the argument boils down to a known statistic that "80% of drivers think they are above average in driving ability." It is a false balance to suggest these two camps have equal validity.
Ideally speed would vary with vehicle, operator and conditions. My 100 yo Grandmother in a '66 Chrysler Imperial in a rain storm during Friday Afternoon Holiday Traffic is not the same as a well trained 35 yo individual in a '24 Corvette at 6AM on Sunday Morning on a deserted Western Interstate. Our paved rural county and state roads often don't have posted limits. People don't drive any faster on them than they do on posted roads. As a matter of fact the speeds appear to be a bit lower. Most couldn't tell you the correct statuary speed (although one does exist).
@@gk5891 Try the same driver, 35yo, with the same car, '24 'vette, but on my road; potholes deeper than 2 feet and wider than that. I feel bad for anybody without a Subaru or Jeep in my area. The roads are an absolute disgrace. But mayor and counsel consistently get their 6% annual raises.
The biggest issue facing American drivers today is their own stupidity-- whether it be their desire to be distracted while driving, or their complete ignorance of road laws (left-lane camping, refusing to let people merge etc) bad drivers make us all unsafe.
It's the same problem as in all walks of life: education. Just very low standards. Which country makes it so easy to get a license or vote or acquire lethal weapons? Freedom used in ways that risks all those who are living with common sense safety. The freedom to mortally risk other people's lives without even giving it a thought. Take a guided tour at the wrong moment and you go to jail for years.
You missed one massive factor. Road design. It's basic psychology and physics. People will always drive the speed they are comfortable. Adding more variables like roadside trees, narrow lanes, bump outs and chicanes, or even mixed pedestrian/car areas will make drivers slow down. But if we keep building city streets like they're 50mph highways and then slap a 30mph sign on it, we can't be at all surprised when drivers speed and people die.
Yes. Speed limits need to be appropriate for the road you're building and building slower roads gets you a lot of benefits. (One of those benefits is not getting where you need to be faster, but better urban design and public transportation helps there, as the places you need to be end up closer and when you have to go far, it's still quick without needing a car). When I lived in NYC, I was offered a free car and turned it down. It wasn't worth the cost of insurance and headache of parking because I needed it so rarely.
True. Everyone gets off the highway at ~60mph and enters a 4 mile long 4 lane boulevard coming into my town, then wonders why the limit changes from 45 to 30 in half a mile before a 3-street triangular intersection that has 26+ stoplights. 🤦♂️
You missed a word in "People will always drive the speed they are comfortable": Most. Those who do not will probably kill you and/or themselves. When driving from A to B becomes a lottery, then there is something going wrong imho.
Espically in Frederick it’s 70mph and people are doubling like where are you going to be going that fast 70 is plenty fast tbh but when a cop is near by you should see them slow down an backing up traffic
I used to drive between DC and Baltimore for work and hands down, I've never seen such dangerous driving anywhere else in the US, and I've lived all over.
They did that in Atlanta back in the 1990s, I think... during rush hour. They got pulled over but I don't think they faced charges, but it F*d the entire CITY for a couple of hours because so many people were late and deliveries delayed, ect. NOW, however... if they did that in 2024 I have serious doubts they would even survive the stunt.
@@amzarnacht6710it was in Atlanta in the early 2000’s before youtube. I think there are only 1 or 2 blurry videos about it. And it was much more than 4 lanes. They took up the entire width of a huge interstate, 7 or 8 lanes across, and all went exactly the speed limit. Spotters on bridges up ahead showed an empty highway, then a MASSIVE sea of cars as they passed by. Chaos ensued, including some pissed off drivers that actually tried shoulder passing and hit some of the students’ cars.
@@Patrick94GSR awesome. California does some weird crap where the police do the same thing. I remember lane sharing to the front (motorcycle) and seeing some officers doing the exact same thing. It was bizarre.
@ my bad, it was 4 lanes and it is on RUclips. Not sure if it was made sometime before it was posted though. ruclips.net/video/OoETMCosULQ/видео.htmlsi=Snbjp3vBvPWIpJMZ
Here's how I view it: 1. Do NOT speed in a residential area, or on any stretch of road that is within close proximity to houses. You may hit a child, or pet, or pedestrian. Also, the noise of fast cars going by your house is really annoying. 2. Do not speed in unsafe conditions, such as on a road with lots of turns, or bumps, or hills, or in bad weather or heavy traffic. 3. If your on the freeway and there's almost no one around you and the road safe, go as fast as you want.
I think your list is perfect and basically how I drive, save for one missing point (maybe sub-point): Even when road conditions permit theoretically unlimited speed, if the roadway isn't fully access restricted (interstate, etc.), be mindful of intersections and side access roads since people run lights or don't estimate your speed properly. More of an issue in rural areas where you have 2 lane divided highways but side roads still dump onto the main 55mph+ drag strip. Another rule I use from riding bikes is whatever the speed, make sure you have at least one feasible escape route for any action another vehicle could take on the road in front of you (short of dropping spike strips or something).
Seems to check out until you’re doing your max speed and can’t slow down in time when catching up to the crowd. Seen accidents because of this EVERY Saturday on I-94 east into Milwaukee by the stadium. Saw 5 accidents within 1 mile last weekend, and a car smashed under a van up to its steering wheel because the semi truck behind it couldn’t stop. 🏆
The speed limit is either completely arbitrary or a source of income for the government or both. There’s no way you’re telling me safety comes in perfect intervals of 5 and 10.
I'm a Civil Engineering student and a speeder, The safety values that are calculated are not in intervals of 5 and 10, but are rounded down as it's easier to keep track of intervals of 5, and rounding down is seen as safer by AASHTO, which is where a lot of regulations for speed limits come from. (For example a safe speed limit of 57.8 will be rounded down to 55mph). Factors for speed design include the angle of a curve, clearance (empty area from side of the road), weather conditions, braking distance, and estimated reaction times based on a poor driver with a heavy car. While most people could comfortably drive 20 mph over, they are essentially designed to drive at a safe speed for bad drivers in winter
@@Thecelestial1 You're claiming the intervals of 5-10 is somehow "perfect", no, it's just a good round number. Psychology takes part in this. Your suggestion that "safety comes in perfect intervals" is absolutely ridiculous and you should be laughed at for such a dumb statement. The speed limit is not an "arbitrary" source. It's there to reduce harm. If a speed limit of 25 is posted in a residential area with yards where kids play, then drive fucking 25. It's not that hard, it gives you plenty of time to react to kid running on to the street, and you avoid yourself a lawsuit, jail, and even if something goes wrong the judge will be asking you if were going the speed limit. Use some common sense man, it's not that difficult.
@ Exactly, this value cannot possibly be implemented based on the different cars and conditions; speed limit for a fully loaded tractor trailer would need a different number than a truck pulling a boat different number than a compact car different number than a motorcycle all different when the weather changes, condition of the road, condition of the tires. Painting a broad brush by appealing to the lowest common denominator and then telling people it’s for your “safety” to drive that speed is a complete lie. If it weren’t used as a truncheon against citizens I wouldn’t care, but it is. Limits will never go away because they bring in billions in revenue, which is revolting.
The problem is the road is not design for the speed limit they are intended for. Some roads say 35 mph but are made like wide expressway roads for 50 mph. I have been to European roads, especially the Netherlands, where the speed limit signs and roads are designed to meet the speed limit indicated. American road design is so archaic that I am not surprised this is happening.
@@boywhohadatiger first it has to be proper trained. For humans normal speed is about 6km/h or walking speed. For anything higher your brain needs to adapt and learn how to react.
www.youtube.com/@kazekai8, which happens when a street with a lot of pedestrians needs to be widened to accomodate more vehicles which happens when car centric murica decides that places that logically should be pedestrianized shall be automobile focused causing people that would otherwise walk to work to have to buy a vehicle causing it to be almost impossible to just break even financially if they have only just entered the workforce and work in a typical shop or whatnot. If only some of these stroads had sidewalks or even a bike path here and there.
If you think planned obsolescence is bad, let them design roads like that. The Netherlands and the US are two completely different scales. My STATE is four times the size of the Netherlands and growing FAST. If they built roads like that: a) no one would get anywhere (it's already bad) both due to congestion and distance, b) addressing growth would involve metric buttloads of money to buy people out and force them to move via eminent domain, and c) the amount of time needed to even try to address growth would be plotted on a glacial time scale, all just so they can still be one step or more behind population. My state added more people in the last four years than the Netherlands did in the last fifteen years. Two. Completely. Different. Scales.
Totally agree, and it goes both ways too. I've driven on plenty of rural roads that were marked 55mph or 45mph but really should have been 35mph. Small, windy two-lane roads with no shoulder, and dangerously close to nearby houses. The locals obviously know the roads, but it's dangerous for the unfamiliar.
The problem is that the speed limits are very frequently inappropriate for the road. And there's conflict of interest to ever fix that, because the state gets lots of ticket money from this poor management
Houston has a 4 lane road running along Addicks Resevoir with a 40 mph speed limit. There are few side roads intersections and most cars run 60+ mph. The limit is a joke and traffic moves fine. There are no shoulders and no where a cop can park.
There's a shopping area near me that has 4 lanes wide with 4 way stop intersections and speed bumps. The posted speed limit is 10km/h (6mph) 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Except while passing, my dad is a strict 60-65mph guy on the interstate due to “speed kills”. It is absolutely terrifying being in the car with him because the flow of traffic is 15+ mph faster and everyone has to swerve around him. In an attempt to be safer, he’s actually endangering himself and other drivers more. In other words, “speed variability kills”
I had my mom driving me to work one time when I was in college. She was doing 45 in the left lane of the beltway, and people were honking and passing her. I told her straight up that she either speeds up, or she changes lanes to be in the right lane, because she was going to cause an accident. The idea that “speed kills” is what drivers who have anxiety cling to, and it actively makes conditions worse for everybody.
I'm the same way and there's nothing terrifying about it, gtfoh 😂😂😂 but yeah, we should definitely blame the people following traffic laws and safety regulations lol.
@@ATTACKofthe6STRINGSI used for drive for a living in a vehicle limited to 55 and never had a single issue anywhere ever. Y'all just want to justify your behavior when you drive recklessly.
One thing that needs to be pointed out is that Germany is smaller than the state of Texas. Germany has a population density of 628 per square mile, whereas the United States has a population density of only 98 per square mile. So, with that in mind, it makes sense that U.S. tax dollars are spread very thin when trying to build and maintain roads.
Thank you im tired of our country being compared to tiny countries like we're exactly the same. Doesn't apply. Sorry for the rant but it also applies to the differences between each state. I live in wyoming and people in New York and LA think we should live like them doesn't apply. We are night and day different. Any thanks for the common sense take.
Exactly, and the taxes are much higher there. Are you willing to pay $8 a gallon for gas to have slightly nicer roads where you can go slightly faster? Here in Texas we already have 85 MPH speed limits and many people don't even drive that fast. It takes a LOT of fuel. I have a semi and it's shocking how much more fuel it takes at 85 compared to 55. Using halfway more fuel + 2x the fuel cost = 3x the total fuel cost per mile, just to get there slightly faster? No thanks.
@castirondude Not to take away from your point, but a semi truck is basically a brick on wheels. Its no surprise it takes a lot more fuel as wind resistance/ friction increases
In one sense, I agree with you. Your statement, however assumes one thing. Enforcement. I guarantee you that the European drivers are the same as USA drivers--the difference is enforcement. We in the USA need to fund the Police. Get a ton more cops enforcing the speed limit...and other rules. The issue would go away quickly (or be greatly reduced).
@@williamwood1776 Nope, not even close. I have driven in Germany a lot. Driving in Germany is like being in a ballet, everyone is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. They drive in the driving lane, get over to pass, pass, and get back out of the way. They get a lot more cars through 2 lanes of pavement than we get through 3. When I spent several months there in the 80's I learned that the effort and expense to get a driver's license in Germany (my cousin was getting his at the time) was about the same as getting a pilot's license in the US (which I had just done). No comparison to drivers training here. And they _dont_ have much enforcement, maybe 1/10 of what is here in the US, because there they _actually_ do it for safety - not as a major source of revenue as in the US. Make a law - Germans obey it; its the culture. Biggest problem on the Autobahn today is the fact that Germany is the crossroads of the EU and has to let non-Germans use the highway, particularly the trucks - which makes it difficult to see road signs because the entire right lane (where trucks are mostly required to be) is just one continuous truck.
US police are already funded at *historically high* rates. They just don’t do their job. Look up traffic enforcement statistics from before 2020 vs after.
You miss a really important point about EU and US roads: in EU no one is FORCED to drive a car - if they're not comfortable, they'll take trains, busses, or other public or personal transport like bicycles. In the US you pretty much HAVE to have a car, there's just no way around it, unless you live in a big city next to your job.
Exactly this. I live and work in Edinburgh, Scotland and rarely use my car for my 8 mile commute because I can use the tram or cycle which is much less hassle. Giving people options is key to freeing them from the tyranny of driving.
@@raithrover1976 there's the reason we have this difference. You just called eight miles a commute. To most Americans eight miles is a quick trip. A commute is 50 - 100 miles. My commute is currently 80 miles. Things are much farther apart here in the states and public transport is exponentially more expensive because of that.
My current job is my shortest commute and it's 30 miles one way. My previous job was 120 miles one way, and I took it because it was that or extended unemployment. I only got this job because I knew someone.
@@haagenslash5963 We also brought this on ourselves by seeing cars as the solution to distance and intentionally building infrastructure that basically forces things like schools, housing areas, shopping/dining areas, etc. to all be miles away from each other in different zoning areas and frequently a long way away from any kind of city center. It didn't have to be this way, but short-sighted planning plus more intentional things like white flight brought us to a point where every family is obligated buy a $50,000 passenger shuttle if they want to have two or more kids.
that is one of the reasons why the Autobahn highways in Germany are relatively safe compared with other roads: there are no same level intersections. just entry ramps, exit ramps, cloverleaves etc.
Honestly just my own opinion, im a truck driver thats driving easily 200k to 250k a year. The biggest issue out on the roads today is yes distracted drivers but mostly self entitled drivers with no respect for other drivers.
I’m a trucker too and I agree, and they don’t understand either how use truckers can stop as quickly so they always cross us, cut us off or slow down in front of us after switching lanes I hate it
I'm from California and I've driven hundreds of miles on the Autobahn. It's a delight driving over there. People pay attention and follow the rules. It's not even stressful driving there.
because people have the freedom of choice to drive in Germany In America, you almost need to drive, which means people who aren’t capable of driving end up on the road
I find it pretty good recently - I've been a driver in vehicles going from the UK to Slovenia and back most summers since ~2000, and those have been pretty good trips, but I had a terrifying Autobahn drive in wet weather around 1990 where slowing down or keeping even a small fraction of a safe distance in poor conditions seemed to be entirely taboo for far too many drivers, many of whom found pretty quick karma.
Germans follow the rules because it is incredibly difficult and expensive to get your driver's license in Germany, and it's incredibly easy for your license to be revoked. Perhaps Americans could learn something about raising the bar, and not just letting every Tyrone, Dick, and Harry get on the roads.
Here are the biggest issues with driving in the United States: 1. Lack of education. The process for obtaining your license is a joke. Some people can’t grasp basic concepts like turning on your headlights in inclement weather, or at NIGHTTIME. It infuriates me to see people driving at night with no lights on. Or how about the people who leave their high beams on? “WhY aRe YoU fLaShInG mE??!!” Earth-to-NPC, you see that blue icon on your instrument cluster? It means that you’re burning my retinas! Most people have no idea what any of the icons mean so it’s a losing battle anyways. 2. Lack of enforcement. Law enforcement really only focuses on one thing: speeding, and even that they don’t really enforce unless it’s the end or the beginning of the month when it’s time to fill quotas. People take note of this lack of enforcement and figure out that they can get away with a lot of things like distracted driving and speeding. 3. Post-COVID Main Character energy. As someone who’s been driving almost 10 years, driving was never this bad pre-COVID. People have become more selfish, more impatient, and less considerate than ever before, and a lot of people who have no business being behind the wheel of a motor vehicle were able to obtain licenses during the pandemic. 4. New cars have too many safety features. You have mandated backup cameras, Lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, etc. People assume that these features will enable the car to drive for them, when in reality, these are passive systems. Pair that with a subpar training program and people think driving is a joke. And that’s really the key factor of why Americans are generally such bad drivers. They don’t take it seriously. There’s an invincibility complex that people have adopted. They don’t adjust their speed for poor road conditions, because they think the car will defy physics for them.
Most of the time it’s not people have their high beams on. That’s just how LED lights are from factory on new cars. I can tell when Teslas have their high beams but it also doesn’t matter because your retinas are already burnt away if they aren’t. My friend put LEDs in his is300 and my MR2 has them but our eyes are burnt away without even touching the high beams
I started riding a motorcycle this year. The number of times I have almost been hit from people not looking when merging or coming out of a stop, and/or disregarding the stop sign entirely, is appalling. That, and I'm constantly seeing people texting or scrolling through their phone while doing 80+ on the interstate. So yeah, I would agree: it's a combination of lax driver education and a lack of enforcement.
The other factor that affects road safety in Germany is duannual, stringent vehicle inspections. If your vehicle isn’t up to Autobahn speeds with control. Are your brakes below 20%? Are your tires bald? You don’t get your mandatory safety certificate until those problems are corrected. Many US vehicles wouldn’t come close to passing the inspection.
Meanwhile, PA has had talks of removing it for years... Because it's "too expensive"... Having seen what goes around in non inspection or low brow inspection states... it makes me glad we at least have SOME type of standard even if it's pretty weak.
Lots of people are poor in the U.S. yet there is no alternative to driving. People love to make smarmy cracks about it, but when its suggested we invest heavily in public transit those same people launch into sarcastic comments with like 15 laugh cry faces.
Here in Norway your car will be banned from the road if one non mandatory marking light do not work, not one single thing on their check list have to be wrong. My big box van is now illegal to drive on Norwegian roads because one of the marking lights is not working, to fix it I either have to replace it or remove the pair of marking lights completely. My box van has 10 marking lights that keep going out at random every time I am at chekup and it blocks me from getting my van approved for 4 years now and it is only 10 years old, I am just about to give up ...
No its not. The biggest problem is left lane camping. This causes people to get frustrated and desperate to pass. So risky driving starts to escalate. Tailgating pisses off the driver in front. Then that driver escalates by slowing down to make the tailgater even more frustrated. Then more people get stuck behind the escalating debacle. Then more risky lane switching starts to occur. Suddenly you have a group of cars stuck in a competition of growing frustration. You pass a cop and and they watch as the one left lane camper is disrupting the flow and does nothing to enforce the law. Frustration escalates more that cops only target speeders. Suddenly you have the beginning of road rage. Drivers decrease distance. Now everyone is tailgating to prevent the risky lane switching. If you are lucky the driver finally stops camping in the left lane. In the mean time the road rage continues. The group speeds to the next left lane camper. Then you have the one distracted driver against the group of road ragers. The distracted driver then becomes a problem because the road ragers race to position and the distracted driver cuts them off and an accident occurs. All this begins with the a-hole that wants to camp in the left lane. I see this everyday! The distracted driver is a problem but is only the end result of other symptoms. If the cops would uphold the law and start to ticket the left lane campers, half the problems would end on the road.
@@elk4331Distracted drivers tend to camp in the left lane the most. You’ll see one distracted driver cruising in the left lane and nearly causing multiple accidents as other cars start jumping lanes to get around them. And maybe it’s stupidity or ego but they refuse to move out the left lane. So yeah if you’re going 70mph in the passing lane and a car up ahead is going 45mph just bopping their head and cruising. The driver actually passing other cars might run into the back of the car not passing in the left lane and holding everything up.
I am old enough to remember driving through Nevada when the speed limit was "reasonable and proper". On that trip I was driving at 110 MPH and passed a police car who was traveling at ~90 MPH. No problem, as this was WAY out in the middle of nowhere.
Driving on those long stretches of empty road out in the middle of Nevada desert, where you are surrounded by absolutely nothing and no one … I’m sure we all have ended up speeding 😅 I recall being pulled over going about 145mph - When he was walking up to my car after I’d pulled over, he was whistling in awe- The cop literally was laughing - he said “I must say… technically I have to impound your car and take you to the station - but? I’m just impressed… I want a turn behind that wheel! I’ll write you 10 miles over instead of 75 - save you a bunch of headache…” He was such a good guy. I’m so, so glad he was such a good guy! I have never driven that way, since.
I heard the cops out there nowadays essentially ask you for $20 if they pull you over, to make it look like they're doing their job, then they let you continue speeding. Essentially, no tickets, no crime, just a small fee to speed to your heart's content.
As a professional truck driver with over 2 million miles driven, I can say that speed limits have always mostly been useless (after the federal 55 was lifted). Edit, for clarification, in not saying the 55mph limit was useful for either fuel savings or crash safety. I was merely using it as the beginning point of modern speed limits as the federal 55 was lifted. What aggravates me is that speed is RARELY a CAUSE of vehicle collisions. Its the things that police have never really focused ticket writing on: following too close, distracted driving (aka looking at the cell phone), aggressive lane changing. Note that Germany focuses on these causes in their driver training that the US doesn't. Also note that the vehicle related fatality rate in USA translates to about the same number of fatalities as firearm incidents, about 30,000 per year (with another 100,000 injuries). People in the USA don't recognize vehicles as potentially deadly weapons. We see them as toys.
@xandermauldin9855 I saw one yesterday in Houston in a lifted pick up truck with low profile "police" decals, a different take on urban stealth. Most people wouldn't be able to see up into the vehicle. Sure enough, on his phone in traffic. Also, distracted driving and vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death among police officers. Typical do as I say, not as I do mentality. Either way, police aren't really interested in promoting traffic safety or securing public safety. The primary goal of police is revenue generation. In Texas (probably other states too), a law had to be passed to limit the budget % a municipality could get from traffic tickets. Even so, cops are writing tickets for speed, not the things that ACTUALLY CAUSE collisions.
@@Texas240Or drunk drivers or people going under the speed limit MASSIVELY or merging the wrong way or not using their turn signals or mirrors, those things should be put forth waaaaaayyy before speeding but that's my European mindset.
@Random63R400 you're right. He mentions the speed differential as a crash cause in the vid. Texas used to have a minimum speed but even then it was something like minimum 45 maximum 65 which is a crash waiting to happen if vehicles meet at those speeds. Also ties in with passing on the correct side instead of the wrong side.
Grandma drivers driving under the speed limit is also a danger. You cannot be going 30-40 on a curvy 50, especially if you can easily do 60-65 on that same road.
Something that was not mentioned in this video is that Germany uses variable speed limits. When you are on the autobahn, there are electronic signs telling you most of the time you're good to go. HOWEVER... when those signs light up there's a good reason for it - weather ahead, accident, congestion - that's something that does a much better job of grabbing drivers' attention. Remember too that they also have an 85th percentile suggestion (instead of a rule) there, which is 130 km/h or about 80MPH, called the Richtgeschwindigkeit. They just don't go any further than a suggestion unless it's truly necessary.
The UK has them for our motorways but always seems to never be anything or way too late. Common one is "pedestrian spotted" which of course is the most dangerous but it has a high false positive rate which makes people less sensitive to it even though it is the most serious. Whilst in Germany if this comes I see police straight away, great warnings for the use of the tunnels which can have stood traffic within them. Smart motorways are a good idea but copy Germany and not the UK as ours are awful.
Sorry, but most speed limits are actually 55. So you are going almost 15 miles faster than the limit, which is almost a felony. Oh, and is that your plate in your profile picture?
I'll give my perspective. I grew up with an aviation and automotive family. We worked on planes (flew them too, my Dad was an airline pilot) and cars (had an auto shop + used car dealership). We had a bunch of corvettes and sporty cars. I was always interested in racing, got into a racing sim when I was 8 (Live For Speed!). I wanted to do shifter cart racing but never had the money to do it. But I raced on the computer, all classes of cars, stock civic-esque cars to F1, and rally, did stuff, etc. Drove golfcarts and offroad go-carts, rode my bikes, dirtbikes. It taught you how to do basic stuff and safe driving by the time I was 15 for my permit. I already knew about tire loading, braking distance, weight transfer, high-performance braking. At 15. I drove on that sim for hours a day from 8 to 15. When I got my permit I did my own skidpad stuff in empty parking lots. J-turns, going 30mph and intentionally panic braking, spinning out the car. Hitting the e-brake and making it slide. Left, right. Did it in the dirt too. Only things I haven't done is go 50MPH on an empty stretch of road at night and panic stop to appreciate what the heavy stopping would be like. Or on the highway at 70MPH. Thought I'd leave that for the track. Fast forward to now, in my late 20s, I feel like a more competent and safe driver than most. I haven't raced yet (damn disability got me the past 3 years) but having a good reaction time and everything primed if something happens keeps me safe. Never expect people to do what they're supposed to do. Keep your head on a swivel. Always anticipate someone is going to pull out/pull in or do something stupid. I attribute a lot of my build up to my driving skills to my sim time. How does this apply to this video: Despite never being on a track or done high speed driving (racing or autobahn), I feel more than competent to drive at faster speeds. I appreciate the braking distance equation and the performance of my car, stability (braking, suspension, engine, weight of car). Dry or wet. I did some low speed makeshift skid pad stuff, I've appreciated when my tires go from the static coefficient of friction to dynamic. It's a big difference dry or wet. I appreciate the kinetic energy equation. Speed does kill, especially if your dv/dt is over 50Gs to your head. 100Gs to your body. There's nothing but car performance, training, and good psychology that'll make faster driving safer. So we'd need to basically copy the German license standard to make safe unrestricted driving possible. Skid pad, instruction, etc. Rules need to be changed too. The US doesn't treat tail-gating and left-lane passing, stay right as you can unless you need to laws as strictly as they do in Germany. We need better laws and much better training. So this is how I'd do it: Local city routes should be strict speed limits. No need to speed there. The speed limits there are fine. Plus traffic control stuff (narrowing roads, etc). Highway: unrestricted except through large or medium sized metro areas (like Miami). The FL turnpike should be unrestricted completely. Roads fixed and rengineered for these speeds. New licensing requirements. If you wish to do unrestricted speed driving you need to go through more training than the regular driver. This doesn't give you a license to do whatever you want speed wise. Germany has a law about going as fast as the road conditions are dependent on road conditions. Otherwise it is reckless driving, especially if you cause an accident. So should we make unrestricted sections of interstates here? I think the investment for that would be better spent on increasing driver education and experience than we have today (i.e. adding in skidpad requirement, high-performance vehicle driving, braking) which will increase safety. And increasing the speed limit on open rural areas to 100MPH, conditions permitting, with the tail-gating and right lane rules enforced. And the new training stated above. The first time most drivers go sideways in a car or hit the brakes hard is before a crash. That's got to stop. I think if we fix that, we can have a discussion about going beyond there. But until then, tail-gating laws (we really need the half-speed rule here) and left-lane passing rules seem to be a fix to current safety concerns of speeding drivers and the 85th percentile rule.
I lived in Germany for three years, early in my formative driving years where I was forced to develop good habits and be educated on lots driving laws. When I moved back to the US and saw the amount of people not using blinkers, camping in the passing lane, not yeilding to pedestrians, or not knowing how to use a round about absolutely blew my mind. We absolutely NEED a much more strict licensing system here, no question.
We do, but before we can do that, we must make our society less car dependent. Imagine not being allowed to work, eat, go to the doctor, or even vote because you can't get a license. In Germany, this works great, in the US we are so dependant on our cars just to survive. So long as driving being required to live is a thing, not licensing idiots kills them. Letting them on the roads mean people die, but banning them from the roads also means people die.
Love the ones that are in the Far Right Lane of a 3 Lane and a Turning Lane both Sides, decides to make a Left Hand Turn.. and the Truck Work lets you use, Brakes Fade so bad, you almost Hit Her.. and then Work Blames you for the Brakes...
@@nada13_08 Spoken like a true Leftist Authoritarian. Cars are freedom in the United States. They let you go where you want, when you want. You're not forced into a schedule and route to travel. And the other reason it works in Germany vs here is because the U.S. is 27 times bigger than Germany. Besides, most mass transportation in the U.S. is government run. That's way too much control. You want lockdowns? Just let your government control your every movement. Besides, there's so much open space in this country. Tru connecting Whitefish, Montana with Sheridan, Wyoming with a light rail. It always seems to be these snooty, smug liberals who live in high density population areas that would never lower themselves to leaving the city that live to tell everyone else how they should live. They're literally clueless about places that have grass and fields instead of concrete where you can literally see for miles and there's only one or two houses per square mile. IF they do leave the city, they fly in on their private plane to the private airport and take their private limo to their private estate. Hopefully without having to see those hicks.
If you suddenly become stationary at walking speeds, you'll be fine. Doing so at 100km/h and you wont be. It's the speed that makes it worse and it's the speed that makes it more likely.
@@PolarTrancecar speeds and walking speeds are not equal, sudden stops in cars aren’t the same. You can be seriously hurt or worse no matter the speed in a car
@@334ben10 I'm assuming you'd wear a seatbelt in my version of the saying... You can't get seriously hurt if you're going walking speed in a car and slam the breaks, unless you were extremely fragile and not wearing a seat belt. Most people would find driving absolutely terrifying if a walking speed stop seriously hurt you or worse. Since that's not even that rare.
@@334ben10 I am aware that 5km/h is not "REMOTELY the same" to +100km/h. Why do you think I'm not aware of that? I mention walking as a fun response to the funny clarkson quote. Do you take the Clarkson quote seriously or do you get why it's a joke? If you get the joke, mine is the same, but other way around and not as funny.
@@334ben10 I think you are quite confused, I never said "Slow moving cars stopping is the same as a person walking and stopping". I mentioned "walking speeds", which is not the same thing as walking. And the speed matter even when you're in a car. fast speed and slow speed are not the same, except for both being about speed and I never said anything else. Cars do go at walking speeds and much faster, I never disagreed or claimed otherwise. I also never said walking speed should be the limit, though now that you said it, in some places like pedestrian only streets, that is a safe speed.
I honestly think that there should be an age restriction on how fast you can go. Under the age of 21; get a ticket for speeding. Over the age of 75; get a ticket for speeding. Most young ppl are too inexperienced to drive fast and most elderly ppl are too slow to react in critical situations. The faster you go the quicker the reaction time you need.
It's not just the cost, they have an extremely strict teaching methodology and curriculum/courses that need to be passed with at least 90% and no more than 10 error points. On top of that you have to have your vehicle inspected every 2 years for roadworthiness Current driving education in the US is not anywhere near stringent enough to have something like the autobahn, but speed limits are absolutely too low on most US freeways. The I-205 corridor running through Portland OR and Vancouver WA has a speed limit of 55-60 for most of it, but traffic is either moving at a crawl, or everyone is doing 75+
Probably not, mainly because those people speeding now are driving to their capabilities, and as creatures of habit a 20mph bump in the speed limit, would probably mean most people would start driving 5mph below because 80 seems to be a sweet spot for American Vehicles. Idaho is 85 in most places, rarely is anyone in the passing lane. As in almost never, Idaho also has the safest roads statistically. I understand though, if those limits were set higher you wouldn't be able to blame all of your own driving mistakes on the guy trying to pass your slow ass.
@@SaanMigwellI take a two lane highway 20 miles to and from work every day, and nothing pisses me off more than someone going 60 in the left lane and refusing to move over. The rest of traffic trying to do 75-80. How do people not realize/care that literally everyone is passing them?
There's a psychological element in play as well. Road engineers will design a wide 4 lane collector in a neighborhood with strait lines that feels like a highway, then slap 35 mph on it and expect people to travel that speed. If you want people to drive slow, design a narrow enclosed road that will force people to drive slow with curves, trees, roundabouts, and other things that restrict your line of sight ahead.
This doesn't 100% work. You will still have idiots that think they can go 120 in a 25mph school zone cause AMERICAN FREEEEEEDOME! or other such nonsense. PROOF? You ask for proof? Well anacdotal is all I have atm on this: Every other time I go out driving past a certain high school, that comes right off a MAJOR highway/road in our area... there's at least one person pulled over... if not every time some times!
They do that because they almost want people to speed. It's like a trap, feel like speeding today? go right ahead and speed so that we can ticket you and generate a lot of revenue for the city. Straight roads are also cheaper to design and build. At the end of the day it always comes down to money.
this is the same reason that those massive intersections with no traffic lights in places like india are able to work without frequent accidents: when there is nothing directing drivers, they are forced to figure it out themselves because nobody wants to get in an accident.
@gujwdhufjijjpo9740 exactly!! But far too oftan I see people not even doing 30 on the on ramps then shooting out into the next lane causing them to all slow down. It does nothing but increase the risk of accidents. Honestly people need to go back to driving school
I am from Australia and have visited the US a few times, on my first trip over I was totally blown away by how much everyone was exceeding the speed limit. And I also found drivers to be much more reckless.
I’m also from Australia and am blown away by how poor the driving standards are here (refusing to use the left lane on clear motorways etc), not to mention the state of the roads. As much as I would like to see the limit raised to 130kmh (matching some far more crowded Europe roads) I would worry for my safety given the morons we share our roads with.
@@flatf3057 Not sure if you were replying to me?. Either way, I agree with you on speed limit adherence in Australia and I didn’t raise that as an issue. The police and feds have done such a thorough job of terrifying people that realise they may be going 5km over the limit, that it’s not a big problem here. Lane discipline, cutting in front when you leave a safe gap, and generally poor driving standards are what I was referring to. The key to safety is the lengthy and pricey German model of new driver training. A license should be a privilege not a right
I recently read a book from an Iwo Jima veteran that talked about driving around in the US during the war. The national speed limit in 1944 and 1945 were 45 mph. I couldn't imagine crawling from one city to another at that speed.
I drive for a living in the US, and I agree with the comments stating the main problem is driver stupidity. The US consistantly fails to properly educate about and enforce safe driving habits. This leads to drivers making poor decisions without receiving cosequenses. This makes them think it was a good idea which they then repeat until the inevitable accident that poor decision leads to occurs. The amount of lane cutting, especially without turn signals is getting worse. I see people start taking an exit then cutting across the pair of solid lines and separating median, just to get in front of a semi that was going the same speed as the three cars in front of it. The trucks end up hitting their brakes to let the moron in, slowing traffic behind them, and causing more cars to try and get around them.
Pilots have to have regular medical checks, recurrent training and check-rides... Would be a good thing for drivers. Would get some of the dangerous ones off the road and make sure the ones still driving actually know the rules and follow them... Turn signals anyone?
I 100% agree. Until about a month ago I was always driving a ridiculously high speed, and then I got a speeding ticket. Because of how fast I was going (98 in a 65- mind you it was at 1am, I never would drive like this with people around) I had to do a driver safety course. It was so eye opening and completely changed my view of driving. The statistics are crazy, at least in my state your chance of dying in a car crash goes up by like 200% from 45 mph to 65 mph. I think most people know that driving and speeding is dangerous, but you don't realize just how dangerous it is until you actually sit down and look at the data.
No, it’s the fast lane. If you can’t keep up with traffic flow, GTF out of the way. I Fn loathe slow drivers. Traffic is typically bad enough as is, let alone some idiot doing 10 miles an hour under the limit or just at the speed limit, while everyone else is going around them.
Man......with mild sleet earlier today, i'm waiting for a left turn signal......and I hear that non-abs tire-locking screeeeeeeeech behind and to the right and see some old damn lady in a 90s Benz just skid to a stop at the same red light 2 lanes over. And bitch was on the phone, in hand to ear and all, too..... I'd shit myself if I was on just 2 wheels.
2:48 This stood out so much to me earlier this year on a trip to Poland. The left lane was always open unless someone was passing. Blew my mind how less stressful such a simple rule made driving!
I suspect what actually blew your mind, was that everyone was actually willing to apply/employ the rule as a collective. Co-operating to make the road system work better for everyone, unlike where I live, where there are so many ignorant self obsessed lane blockers that think they are the only person on the roads. Stupid is as stupid does.
And drivers in Poland are actually pretty fast and reckless compared to other countries in Europe. Most chill I've seen are in Sweden and Norway, people often just sit 5 kph below speed limit and rarely overtake anyone.
We have those rules in nearly every locality here, too; 1. "Always-Follow-The-Speed-Limit" goodie-goodieness is over-expressed in both our culture and our Driving-Ed schools, so this rule is often not even explicitly taught in drivers' ed. 2. Police NEVER - and I mean N-E-V-E-RRRR - enforce left-lane laws.
Eliminating speed limits on highways and putting all highway traffic enforcement into lane discipline would drastically increase safety AND drastically reduce congestion. The amount of congestion I see driving anywhere in this country caused by people spreading out across all lanes of a highway and driving the same speed is incredible. It wastes a huge amount of time and fuel.
8:37 NO, driver education is key, the discipline shown by German drivers still amazes me and I cry when behind someone in the left going below the limit to annoy me instead of just moving over
@@ChrisLoew in his latest vid titled "how my video gear is changing" there was a segment where he went 96mph in a 30mph kids zone with a lambo revuelto where he blurred the speedo but didnt blur the passanger speedo so people saw it, he since removed that section from the vid but people saved it
When we were stationed in Germany there were plenty of speed limits on the autobahn. This was beacause different areas were always being worked on to keep it in safe condition. Here not so much.
The biggest problem in my area is people pulling out in front of drivers in a fast and busy 5 lane road. Doesn't matter if you are going the speed limit of 45 or breaking it and going 55. If someone disregards your presence and pulls in front of you, that is a nasty wreck. The street I am thinking of has 3 wrecks a day on average
Up until a couple years ago I used to commute about an hour one way to work. Mostly highway. One city to the next. Within the 2 city limits, the speed limit is 65. But on the 34 mile stretch between the two, it jumps to 75. Purely for the sake of science, I decided to try just leaving my cruise set on 65 for the entire trip. And I did that for about two weeks. My findings? It added right around 4 minutes to my commute, my fuel economy jumped by about 5 mpg's, and it was a whole lot less stressful to just hang out in the right lane, chill and listen to my audiobook or some music. And in the event I did come up on some slower traffic like a semi, I could step out and punch it up to 70-75, then move back over and settle back in and not have to worry about potentially catching a speeding ticket. Driving faster really does hit a point of diminishing returns.
I started doing almost the exact same thing on my commute and I feel so much less stress. I just stay in the right lane with adaptive cruise control to 65 and then listen to a podcast.
true to a point, but it totally depends on how far you're driving... down the store to get a gallon of milk, not really, driving from Houston to Chicago... little different story.
Yep, I learned this a few years ago for longer road trips as well. Going an extra 10-15mph is never going to make up the time lost getting gas, going to the bathroom, food etc no matter how efficiently you do those things. Plus I like just stopping to stretch my legs and look around even if I don't need to do any of that stuff.
Thank you SO much for making this video! As someone who’s lived 20 years in Europe and almost 20 years in the US, and is also a CDL holder and have driven A LOT. I can safely say this video is spot on! Nr 1 reason for lack of road safety in the US is serious lack of drivers ed. Nr 2 reason is lack of lane discipline and left lane camping (this needs to be a more enforced law!!!) Nr 3 reason is speed variability - most speed limits here are simply too low, especially on the East Cost. Standard interstate speed limit should be set to 85mph. On a 65mph road you have the majority driving 75, many going 65, a few going 55, and a ton of people going 90mph - a recipe for disaster combined with lack of lane discipline. Add to this cars that are improperly maintained and lacking a good annual inspection (compared to Europe), with headlights blinding the shit out of everyone, and you start to see the whole picture as to why US roads are not safe. I would say the actual infrastructure and road quality is the least of a problem, for interstates. Now if you wanna talk city traffic and pedestrian safety… that’s even worse in the US, and in cities speeds SHOULD be lower, for all the obvious reasons. Again - thank you for this video!
Interesting view. I would say that cities have been lowering speed limits innthe US, but pedestrian fatals have remained high. I believe that car designs impacted by lower outward visibility has affected traffic fatalities everywhere , but especially in urban zines with high pedestrian concentrations. The 2007-11 FMVSS rules are negatively affecting crash numbers.
4:15 The height of American engineering is duck tape? Forget the space shuttle, stealth aircraft, the Mars rovers, nuclear warheads, etc., etc. The most we ever achieved is inventing duck tape. We do have a lot of concrete roads by the way. But concrete isn’t always a better solution. It’s especially bad in the southwest where it can get cold at night and dangerously hot the same day. Concrete will buckle, crack and flake off due to expansion and contraction. There are ways to mitigate this but it adds significant cost that Germany would never have to worry about. I agree that US infrastructure is woefully underfunded. But this isn’t as simple an issue as this video makes it seem.
@@byronridenour4585 It sounds to me like he says duck. Both are in common use. There’s no clear origin to the either name. I prefer duck because the cloth it’s made with is cotton duck and there are other tapes designed for duct work. What people think of as duct tape is not very good for duct work. Before it was either duck or duct they called it 100-mph tape. Probably the most apropos for this video.
You can't really have this discussion without mentioning a road's design speed. If it's built in a way that feels like 70 is ok, no amount of signs saying 55 will slow people down. In many of the residential streets here in the Netherlands, we don't need to post the limit, because anything over 25 feels like you are about to murder a child. Speed variability has more to do with the difference between posted speed and design speed than with the actual maximum.
@@BrandonDenny-we1rw well, if we really go back to first principles, the problem is all the death and destruction caused by speeding. We're pretty much in consensus that reducing speed is the way to reduce death and destruction. To make the reduction in speeding happen, it's MUCH easier to change some road design than to change the inherent lack of self control of the entire population.
@@BrandonDenny-we1rw Luckily, you're wrong. Look at amsterdam. Streets designed for 10 mph, people go 10 mph, no one runs over pedestrians. Roads designed for 60, people do 60.
Culture plays a big role in diving as well. If you live in a more individualistic society your more likely to see that other car as an infuriating obstacle than another human being.
The problem isn't speed limits the problem is the barrier of entry to acquire a drivers license in the United States is really low. We should have better drivers on the road. Speed limits and other regulations on driving are treating the symptoms instead of addressing the problem
9:56 - and there it is. The rules are written for the dumbest driver on the road, with the worst overall driving skill. The faster _this_ driver goes, the more likely she is to cause a wreck and kill people. Then naïve or deliberately deceptive analysts blame the speed for the crash instead of that driver's lack of ability. Solution: Make the driving test harder.
The 259-car pile up was a series of 3 pile-ups over a 20 mile stretch caused by: "Police said heavy rain suddenly gave way to blinding sunshine, catching motorists unaware." So really the lack of a speed limit wasn't the issue but one could potentially argue going too fast for conditions which is independent of speed limits anyway. Also, 85th percentile my tailpipe. Anyone who's driven on state highways through the rural US and hits a small, 1-stoplight town, doesn't buy the 65 -> 55 -> 45 -> 35 -> 25mph decrease as being what "85%" of drivers actually do. Especially when the 25mph zones are HEAVILLY policed. We all know it's a small town trying to generate a revenue stream; they can issue as many BS speeding tickets as they want because they know 99% of people will just pay them rather than come all the way back to their little town to fight it in court.
Asphalt is also something like 95% recyclable so when they mill a road and haul away all that asphalt it's almost all going to end up back on a road somewhere.
Interstates and US highways east of the Mississippi are much smoother south of the Ohio or Cumberland rivers. Most of ours are asphalt over concrete. The Asphalt is the sacrificial layer to be peeled up every 10 years and replaced. Driving in upper Indiana, all of Illinois, western Penn and upstate NY is pretty bad by comparison to Alabama or even Mississippi. Pothole repair on concrete is rough and bumpy often, where asphalt can be tar snaked then replaced. My dad was a highway engineer and he was highly in favor of asphalt poured over slip concrete (not slab concrete)
its friggin education. no one knows regular courtesy and rules. too many people treat driving as a chore/nothing serious. they just do it, like breathing. they dont care what they do when it comes to other drivers. “let me turn with no space!”
You also missed a big one here which is that higher speed limits on roads shared with pedestrians leads to incredible increases in pedestrian fatalities. The US has some of the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities in the world because we allow cars to drive so fast in places where they are likely to interact with pedestrians
I realized from a very young age the road is meant for cars, not people. So when I'm a pedestrian, I'm cognizant of that fact and adapt to the situation. Other pedestrians should heed this advice.
@@IHWKRthis is a wild comment. I’ve lived in multiple countries in the past decade and only in the us do I fear for my life as a pedestrian. Drivers in the us drive larger cars and are less aware of pedestrians (due to a weird car culture and poor infrastructure). Also, roads are, legally speaking, for bikes, buggies, and pedestrians (at crosswalks).
Only difference between Freeway and city/street? One has stop signs and lights. California Sacramento you're going usually 20+ the actual speed. 80 or so on freeway and nearly 60 on the street.
My only concern with this is the fact that vehicle inspections are much more rigorous in places with higher speed limits like germany, where failing mandatory scheduled inspections will make your car illegal to drive. there isn't an equivalent system in the US, and I do not have the mutal trust to believe that the average American would maintain their car to the levels to ensure they would be safe at these higher speeds. simple things like brakes, tire age and even just tire pressure become immensely important when you reach 80mph. negligence is one of the most American traits.
@@brkbtjunkie Here in NC you just need to find a Bubba who will pencil-whip your inspection and your ill prepared vehicle is 'safe' to drive for another year.
problem with mandatory inspection is it harms poor people. like the poor fuck who makes min wage can afford to pay some rip off mechanic $5,000 to fix tiddly shit the mandatory inspection will flag. And no the poor fuck can't just go out and buy a 2024 whatever.
@@Dratchev241 cool, but that poor fuck shouldn't be driving his shitheap at mach 7 on a public road. each of the poor, ignorant, stingy, and distracted people need to be dealt with if unlimited speed limits were to ever occur. something as simple as a permanent badge of shame on the car that makes it legal to only drive in the far right lane could be a solution, but that would require even more bureaucracy to enforce.
@@brkbtjunkie that's disingenuous bullshit and you know it. only 11 states require annual SAFTEY inspections, with five more requiring them conditionally on the sale and/or registration of vehicle. the remaining states you mention only require EMISSIONS testing which has negligible impact on vehicle safety at speed.
We need to make it harder to get a license and if you get caught driving without one, harsher punishments. If you’re a bad driver then looks like you’re not getting a license. Driving is a privilege not a right. Seems like they think it’s a right nowadays
This will never, ever, happen. Licenses are easy to get for a reason. More people who can drive means more people who spend money, or work, or participate in the economy. If the DMV actually enforced good tests that would easily half the amt of drivers. Won't happen.
We are missing the problem here. People. Fact is fact, and that fact is that speeding is breaking the law, yet people choose that what they want to go takes precedence over the law. Let me expand. The American way today is buying a coffee each morning, going out to eat or ordering food for lunch all the time, use credit for everything. The Disney dream of follow your dreams and crush anyone in the way rings true here. Americans truly will do what they want and lack any form of discipline. In Illinois there is highway 57 to Chicago. Limit is 55. I go 70 to feel safe and am still the slowest car on the road. Absolutely insane. Speed variability can be dangerous, but it is the demand of self satisfaction that is the killer here. Take the human out of the equation and we will see less death. Self driving cars not only need to become the standard, but also law for those who lack discipline. The law, speed variability, and how the highways are built are simply not the root issue. People, Americans, are.
IMO, the worst thing that affects roadway speeds is vehicle safety. Over the years, small cars got bigger with cushions and seatbelts that keep occupants in place in a crash and vehicles have crumple zones that absorb energy during a collision. So what has this done for us? We increase our speed and add more energy to any future collision. I had a friend once who refused to wear a helmet while he was snowboarding. His reasoning was that the helmet gave people a false sense of security and therefore they did more stupid stuff. The idea is that when you make things less risky, people are willing to push the limits and take more risk. When group behavior becomes more risky, accidents and fatalities become more common.
Better, safer vehicle design generally increases vehicle speeds and safety at the same time... to a point. Since 2007-11, cars have been required to meet new roof crush and side impact standards. To design for this automakers have increased beltlines and reduced window openings. This has run up.pedestrian crashes, but also it affects crashes on all types of roads. Its not just driver confidence. Its defective vehicle design in general beginning in 14, it started to reflect in ever increasing crash numbers. If we are ever to stop the wantin slaughtee on the highways, these regulations need to be relaxed. People need to be able to see out of their vehicles agai. .
the helmet thing is true though...even with skateboarding i usually go within my LIMITS..the second im at a nice park with required pads or a payed park...im willing to push how much air or how BIG i go....even in bowls/huge transitions i have ZERO familiarity with and i often EAT heaps of shit....bc i think i have a saftey/net. Its not just that but the level of focus/drugs and fear factor in your brain and how it generates a fight/flight response you can HONE when trying to quickly adapt/skill in extreme sports....is pretty integral or having a willingness to truly LEAN into the fight/flight response and your brains/neuralotical pathology/aspects when engaging in something that strenuous physically and mentally for someone in a skill/development stage.(Imo a helmet is like a filter or distorts the mental/acuity/optics when truly trying to grasp&adapt subtle nuances) ALL the sudden on the slopes you want to "KEEP UP" with your friends with a higher skill ceiling or follow them/take the same jumps with no familiarity with what speed/air range each jump/lip has to offer....only to wind up FOLDED like a pretzel or equally concussed bc your amplifying the intensity like a force multiplier. AT least for the majority of PPL that truly lean in to the aspect that if you want to PROGRESS/FAST its often a transaction of PAIN you have to be willing to pay for the quickest/progress route.
@stargazer7644 I don't ride a motorcycle but in my limited interactions with them on the road, the riders appear to give zero Fs about their own safety or the safety of others on the road. Given that, I don't really care what they think regarding speed limits as I know they won't follow any traffic laws anyway.
@@ronnieb8382 That's a pretty broad brush you've got there, pal. And what an incredible effort you've made to completely miss the point of the comment. I do ride a motorcycle, and on behalf of everyone else that rides safely let me just call you out for being the Richard that you are..
You mentioned the insurance companies and thats one of the factors in Germany too. The percentage the insurance companies will pay out for an accident drops as the speed of an accident increases.
Speed limits are decreasing in Western Australia. The drivers here are so bad. They can’t merge, they hesitate to accelerate onto on ramps, and decrease speed before getting off the freeway. They’re freakin’ useless. This video summarises the issues fairly well. However, the driver education standards and infrastructure in Western Australia are all very questionable, too. I’m sick of the moron drivers here. I wish Western Australia would take more from the Germans on lane discipline and driver skills.
They hesitate to merge because people don't make room for them and they have a longer blindspot due to the slope. The person on the highway sees them long before they see you. This is where a augmented camera system could be useful.
Me going 15 over the speed limit trying to pass a group of cars going 10 under the speed limit while a big truck wanting to go 30 over is riding my ass like Miley Cyrus on that wrecking ball.
@@DanH-u3f It should be remembered that the original primary purpose of the Interstate highway system was to move military personnel and equipment. Having served in the U.S. Army, I know that some military vehicles are limited to a top speed of 45 mph. I occasionally see military convoys moving slowly on Interstate highways here in the U.S. I have also been in U.S. Army convoys moving similarly slowly on German autobahns during field exercises.
@@DanH-u3f In the rural highways of the US the minimum is 55 or even 60. In Urban areas, a 55 minimum is not practical with all the merging traffic and truck traffic. In fact, I would say in Urban areas there should be no need for a minimum speed limit.
@DanH-u3f I've seen minimum 55 in Michigan. The speed limit (maximum) is 65 for trucks and 70 or 75 for passenger vehicles. I believe that Oklahoma has turnpikes where the minimum is 60. In practice, I rarely see people going less than 65 in free-flowing traffic. I see more people going 90+ than going under 60
Cool, you're admitting to being annoyed at people who use the passing lane properly? If a car is slow and needs to be passed, then the legal and proper way actually IS to pass at the speed limit in the passing lane. Why do you think a car going under the speed limit gives you a right to go over the speed limit?
Would love to see how often county and state governing bodies actually abide by the 85th percentile rule and how frequently they're studying road speeds. I can think of at least a dozen roads within immediate proximity of my own house that would be better served with a 55mph speed limit that have 35-45 mph limits.
6:00 I don’t agree with how “simple” this is at face value. -No driver is informed of this happening, giving them the freedom to drive as fast as they feel safe. -It looks like a setup or trap -If you’re speeding you’ll still probably get a ticket, so drivers are still limited. -most of the time these aren’t on highway open backroad where most people actually want the limit increased. -The flashing speed is tricking you to slowing down artificially producing numbers. -cars/trucks/vans ability, build quality, what purpose they were built for etc. vary. It’s set up to coerce you into driving at or below the speed limit not allow drivers to dictate what the speed limit should possibly be. Nobody’s going to think they have the freedom to set the speed limit when there’s a cop pointing a radar gun at you, random lines in the middle of the road & a speed trap telling you you’re going to fast. Deceiving us into thinking we have control when we don’t.
I’m sorry, did you just use “cars that are on the road” as an excuse as to why drivers don’t go faster? No shit, cars of varying quality are on the road
@ In a sense of their ability & build quality yes. It artificially decreases the perceived “safe speed limit”. Just because those cars “CAN’T” doesn’t mean it’s not safe for the cars that “CAN”. No shii types of vehicles/transportation varies. That’s why there’s speed limits for trucks. So why not apply that to the same variable of car or vehicle type. A 1990 beat up civic should not fall under the same category of a 2024 sport/supercar. Just a suggestion. We have speed limits for trucks, trains, buses etc. & we have bike lanes, bus lanes, carpool etc. So we could also implement something for the individuals who do have faster, safer & more capable cars trucks or suvs. Ie: special speed limits, lanes, highways, roads etc. people already perceive the far left lane to be the “FAST LANE” so why not legalize it with its own speed limits & enforce it the same as a carpool lane.
As a 10 over everywhere speeder, I give partial blame to the layout of the roads in the US as well. Having a 4-lane highway with a turning lane and direct connections to businesses is so inefficient. It increases the speed variability because people merge into full speed traffic at 40-50 mph without leaving enough room for other cars.
I’m an 10-15 over the speed limit on the highway as well. People still pass you like you’re standing still. Any thing over 15 in Michigan is reckless driving, sorry not ricking that ticket. 15 over 85 to 90 mph; and that’s still not good enough for some people
You're not wrong, but at the same time... 10 over? So looking to get ticketed eventually eh? And creating the very variability that makes things worse... thanks for that 👍 :sarcasm:
As a new truck driver, I can answer that easily. Absolutely not, these truckers will see a 55 limits & go 75. With no care in the world for other peoples lives.
Logically, should all speed limits outside of residential areas and school zones be increased to align with the safety and ability of today’s cars? Absolutely. Do Americans deserve it? Hell no. It will never work and it will lead to more accidents until every person gets it through the head that THE LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING! I drive 80 highway miles to work every day on a 4 lane highway. I SHOULD be able to do it at 100+ the entire way but the amount of cloudless drivers crawling in the left lane makes it impossible and incredibly dangerous. I’m not one for government intervention but I really do wish they were stricter with granting or revoking driving PRIVILEGES (not rights), education, and enforcement (actual enenforcenemt, for safety, not revenue). I’d rather share the road with speeders than oblivious and distracted drivers. Hell, if I was a cop, just on my commute alone, I could write at least 10 improper lane usage tickets every day, and that would do far more good than writing tickets for 10 over. Another genuine danger are speed traps… you’ll have everybody moving at a reasonable speed then slam on their brakes when they see a cop running radar, bottlenecking traffic and creating a real problem.
Your living situation does not entitle you to risking other families on the road. 100 mph is a ridiculous risk, easily enough force to split people in two within their car
@@ark14700 stupid, I said I (or everybody) SHOULD be able to because of how the roads are designed and the standards to which modern vehicles are built, do I? Of course not. Interesting how the Germans do not have that problem… The American highway system was literally designed so that convoys could average 100mph and get supplies or troops or whatever to every major city as quickly and safely as possible.
Perfectly said on all points (I used to be more "libertarian" and entertain the "driving is a right" thing.... but as romantic as it sounds, it really has no moral or practical basis). I can't BELIEVE I never see a SINGLE COP here in the Seattle area EVER pulling anyone over for lane-clogging. It's an absolute epidemic - I can go from Seattle to Preston on I-90, around 10 miles, and pass up 2, 3, or ever 4 DOZEN lane-clogging cars, piloted usually by specific "head in the clouds" demographics (It's always Soft looking White, Indian, or Asian men, old asian women who can barely see above the dashboard, or white women ON THEIR PHONES - ALWAYS!!).
We discover a new trend on German highways in the last 3 years: left lane EV sleeper cars. Even when there is a 130 km/h speed limit, the EVś don’t go the 130, but block the left lanes going only about 100-105km/h. I got a ev hybrid for test myself and found out: you have to calculate a 15 min charge for every hour driven. Passing the 100/105 km/h „barrier“, the discharge goes up from 18 kWh up to 28 kWh at 130 km/h. Once I went 57 km on battery only, but that was from home to a city, with 30, 50 and a short 70 km/h speed limit section. Next day, we tried a highway sequence, a short trip to the highway and in total, after 14 km the hybrid battery was empty with 5 km 30/50/70 and 9 km 140 km/h speed. On the third day, I returned the car (FORD) and that was my last EV mission in my life. The sales agent confirmed my experience. Since then I know, why EVˋs only go 100-105 on German highways. Unfortunately the semi trucks all go 91-93, so the EV cars don’t like to stick inbetween the semìs and stick to the left lane and block the traffic. BTW: of the 13.500km Autobahn in Germany, only 3.200 are left unrestricted, with another 4000 with electronic variable speed limit. 90% of the highways are 2 lane only! And as all money was poured into east Germany between 1990 and 2015, the infrastructure in the west, with the majority of highways and population, nowadays, the average speed on highways throughout Germany is below 100 km/h. Regardless of speed limits, as 90% of all bridges are done and have speed limits down to 40 km/h, weight limitations and I’m average you encounter a construction every 10 minutes on a highway. It’s like almost on purpose by the leftist green red government. And since 2013, every little town is allowed to set up speed traps, as before it was only permitted by the police, so we have thousands of cash 💷 making machines nowadays in Germany… it’s definitely a secondary tax. Ah yes, EV ˋs which are usually 1,5 times the weight of a combustion model, don’t pay tax for the usage of roads… But to afford one of these monsters, you’d better have a good payed gov job. I’ve driven cars all around the world from Asia to America, from Europe to Africa, and the German /EU system once was the best, but nowadays that is only history! And regarding fatalities in correlation to speeding: only approximately 1.270 of the roadside fatalities happen on highways and of these not even 100 happen during to speeding. With >30% of the accidents, bicyclists in the cities range second after pedestrians in roadside accidents. But they can’t make money off these people so msm blames the vehicles. Another nasty trend: represents the road and after that, reduce the speed limit and set up fixed speed cameras… happens everywhere, regardless of a critical accident area or not.
Yep, I remember getting my hybrid and driving home on an empty road getting over 50mpg, then I realized during my morning commute the next day that it's impossible to drive optimally for fuel consumption in any amount of traffic. It simply is not safe to drive efficiently with others on the highway. A large part of that efficiency entails going faster when you can and going slower and steady when the EV kicks on.
@ I remember the time we could go 200 km/h for minutes without even touching the break. Nowadays, if you go over 130 on a unlimited free stretch of highway and you get involved into a accident, you actually have to prove that the accidents not avoidable if you had only gone 130 or below! It’s so sad to see a great nation killing itself due to ideology only.
@11:35 This is the point. We need to stop giving the idiots licenses. Take most of europe as an example, and require drivers to actually be competent and not just have a pulse.
I believe on the highways there should be a much higher speed limit. Surface streets should stay the same. Also driver’s education in this country really needs to be updated and improved.
XD as if we dont know why/how your beliefs came to be LMFAO yeah "rider" says drivers need to be better educated LMFAO sometimes i have to stop/laugh at stereotypes. OH and im sure you follow all the rules and laws and speed limits SURELY everyone knows and believes that DUH
@ if speed limits on the highway were increased it would not really change the average speed on those highways since everyone speeds anyway. 85mph would be a good speed limit for modern cars. And yes driver’s education in this country is pathetic. We don’t learn anything about actually controlling a vehicle. And just because I ride a motorcycle doesn’t automatically make me a criminal. I follow the road laws and I ride the flow of traffic on the highway. I do take the bike to track days which is why I have the sport bike.
@@tonyburns5388 I learned more about skids in a flying club safety meeting (discussing crosswind landings on icy runways) than I ever did in driver's ed.
I can see having a 'reasonable speed limit' in neighborhoods..but on the highway, if you're being safe (not tailgating, unsafely passing on the right [if somebody is hogging the left lane for nothing then go for it], etc.) then you should be allowed to go as fast as YOU are able to.
In my experience driving in each state, people going 15+ over the speed limit are in states that have not increased the speed limits from 55 miles per hour. People in states where the limit is 65 mph tend to go 5-10 over, and people in states with 75 mph tend to go 5 over.
But there are the few of us that should though lol and I wish there was a second license system for us. I have minor training and I've done dry and wet track days, I've got great car control and can react to things that happen quickly and safely. I shouldn't have to follow the same rules that the idiots are following, thus I should have a different license and rules based on tests and training that I've done.
@@racecarrik i would agree ive got 10000 hours on my motorcycle above the speed limit and i have my basic 1 2 and advanced riders course under my belt, i should be able to exceed the speed limit if i want
Trucks are a huge issue with higher speed limits. Maybe some of them can do 80+ mph but a lot of them can't and really shouldn't. They go for an overtake on another truck going 0.3 mph slower and hold up traffic for 10 minutes. Trucks are also a huge reason the US interstate is in much worse shape compared to the autobahn. They do an enormous amount of damage to the road because the road damage to weight ratio is exponential. When the weight of a vehicle is doubled, the wear to the road is roughly quadrupled.
Trucks use autobahns too. In Europe, the majority of countries allow heavier trucks than the US. From what I could find, the US limit is 80'000lbs, which is just over 36.2 tonnes. In Europe the standard limit for articulated trucks is 40/44 tonnes almost everywhere, with some countries allowing up to 50 tonnes, and a larger bracket of truck, (a road train that is a 3 axle box truck with a 2 axle dolly with a 3 axle articulated truck trailer) that can weigh in at up to 60/74 tonnes. The issue with the overtaking is a federal speed limiter, not the trucks themselves. Differences in tyres, calibration of the limiters, etc result in those tiny speed differences when they need to overtake each other, and as they're spending thousands of miles on the road, even 0.3 mph adds up for them with limited driving time.
@markwright3161 we have far more trucks on the road than Europe does, you can't go 2 seconds without seeing a semi on the highway here. I've been to Europe, there's hardly any. Well maybe not hardly any but it certainly seems a lot less. Also keep in mind the amount of people that have nearly 4000 kg pickups and suvs here. It's a lot.
@@markwright3161 most of the trucks in Europe are 31T, not 40/45 or 50 like you say and when there is exceptionnal convoys (like moving Airbus parts or boat parts), they do it in the night with police helping, what the States needs is speed limiters like in Europe cause seeing trucks going 70, I don't care how fast I'm going I'm going to zoom past that motherlover cause his brakes might not work.
@@Random63R400 Where do you get the 31 tonne value? 40/44 tonnes is the weight limit for a standard articulated truck (tractor unit and trailer, equivalent to semi truck and trailer in the US) for easily 80+% of Europe, 50 tonnes seems to be the limit for that same standard artic in Norway from the document I found that was a table listing all the max weights for each country in Europe. It showed 1 country with the lowest limit of 36 tonnes. The 60/74 tonnes is the only thing above the standard artic licence (category C+E), but they're considered normal road vehicles in the countries that have them, no special escorts or anything needed. All countries in Europe and the US have special escorts that weigh in way heavier than the limits, so they don't really count in this comparison. If you're suggesting that trucks aren't going to be fully laiden all the time, yes, but I feel that's as true for the US as Europe. Some states do allow 53 foot trailers vs the 45 foot trailers in Europe, but that doesn't apply to every state. I don't think the 53 foot trailer is as common as I used to think. Is it maybe less than half the states in the US that actually allow them? In the UK we have some double decker trailers, so even though they're shorter than the maximum US length, we will be able to carry more of the unstackable pallets which will get those trucks closer to the max limit of 44 tonnes here, although our roads maybe aren't the best comparison as I think they're pretty poor compared to the rest of Europe.
The cops are unlikely to pull you over if you’re moving at the ‘speed of traffic’. Unless you’re in a business vehicle. Semi truck, taxi, contractor van etc. Then you’re screwed.
On highways the speed should be based off the right most lane, with each lane to the left getting a +10. If the sign says 65 the next left has 75 then 85. If the rightmost is going 40 because of traffic the next left is 50 then 60. This creates lane discipline because if you can’t keep the adjusted speed you’re 100% in the wrong, pull drivers over and give warnings when they are in the wrong lane. This reduces lane changes, and creates a controlled and predictable speed variability, and adaptively adjust the speed of the entire highway during congestion. On a lot of highways this is already the common driver behavior, except bad lane discipline messes it up, make the law reflect the safe way people want to drive.
A problem with doing that, especially in and around cities like Atlanta with HOV lanes, it would be hard to maintain that adjusted speed with people entering/exiting the HOV. Especially the case with transit busses. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but GA also has more than a few locations with exits off the left where highways/interstates split, so you'd have to work out a reasonable way to handle those conditions.
As an American, speed limits are often ignored to an extent. It's normal for people to go 40 in a 30 when it's a straight road. On the highways in my area, the speed limit is 55mph. In the mornings and evening rush hours, everyone does 70mph. There's often cops along the highway and they do not care as long as everyone is doing the same speed. If everyone's doing 70 and your doing 60, you can cause more harm then good because, let's say, the person behind you issnt paying attention and rear-ends you. And now theres a traffic jam.
As someone born with a lead foot (runs in the family) there are lots of issues with the speed limit signs. I spend a lot of time on the road, and regardless of how early I leave it isn't my desire to "cruise" or "sunday drive" around. My goal once getting in that vehicle is to reach my destination and do so with an appropriate mix of safety and speed. Those arguing again speed can look up past historical newspapers where people were making outrageous claims about how insanely reckless it was to increase the limit by 5 mph to a whopping 30 mph. There are always people who are afraid of the smallest increase and preach doom and gloom. My perspective the biggest issue is people not obeying the rules/common courtesies. In Ohio it states on the interstate "keep right except to pass". Then you get some A hole in the left lane on a 2 lane stretch who wants to match a semi and go 60 in a 65. These people need their licenses revoked. Completely obvious to the world around them as 20+ cars are held up for their royal ass to remain in the PASSING lane so long as they desire. You have a lot of people who have no idea their vehicle's framework. They stop their vehicle a whole car length past the white stop line, go right or left to center a lot (whether due to distraction or not), they just don't have any idea where their car is supposed to be on the road or a parking space. They are the epitome of "they got their license from a crackerjack box". There have been plenty of studies that have proven if you keep up with the flow of traffic, even if the traffic is speeding, it is safer than going slower. I wish, especially on our interstates, if the "speed limit" signs were change to "speed minimum". Highways are designed for us to get somewhere quickly. Cops can still pull people over for being reckless-frequent lane changes in and out, no turn signals, not passing in the left lane, etc. That is the way it should be.
I found out if you stay living west of the Mississippi the population is much less, less cars, more speed. I'll never live east of the Mississippi river. The Mid west and the south west are where it's at if you want to go fast. Just stay away from big cities as well.
As a truck driver who already is subject to this.... I want to see after a serious accident all cell phone records checked for use at the time. I want to see drug and alcohol screening and pull the vehicle ECM for speed at the time. If negligence is present then charges should be filed. All this crap about guns being a major killer yet the elephant in the room is ignored.
I appreciate the objectivity of this video. Usually when it comes to that topic, it's either "muh speed bad" or "muh I know how to drive"
The video is very well balanced indeed.
But I disagree that your comment insinuates that "speed bad" is on equal footing as "I know how to drive" arguments. Both are missing some context but one is just far better supported by facts than the other.
The Autobahn is safe in spite of the speeds not because of it. Higher standards for getting a license, stricter enforcement of law, better maintained infrastructure etc. It is fundamental physics that higher speeds are more dangerous. More energy involved means high fatality rates. Higher speed means shorter braking distance and shorter reaction times. Higher speeds also mean your eyes have less time to take in your surroundings and start to tunnel vision in the center of the roads. Studies have proven this. Reducing speed variability is only as effective relative to other cars, not everything else that is slower or stationary. Higher max speeds also introduce a wider range of allowed speeds. People not obeying the speed limit is a road design issue, not a speed limit issue. Design the road around a speed limit, not the speed limit around the road.
The other side of the argument boils down to a known statistic that "80% of drivers think they are above average in driving ability." It is a false balance to suggest these two camps have equal validity.
@@neurofiedyamato8763 Yes, all that I agree with. All I meant is that it's nice not being served either extreme for once
Ideally speed would vary with vehicle, operator and conditions.
My 100 yo Grandmother in a '66 Chrysler Imperial in a rain storm during Friday Afternoon Holiday Traffic is not the same as a well trained 35 yo individual in a '24 Corvette at 6AM on Sunday Morning on a deserted Western Interstate.
Our paved rural county and state roads often don't have posted limits. People don't drive any faster on them than they do on posted roads. As a matter of fact the speeds appear to be a bit lower. Most couldn't tell you the correct statuary speed (although one does exist).
@@neurofiedyamato8763Germany has48.5 millions usa has 243 million lmao of course there going to be more accidents clown
@@gk5891 Try the same driver, 35yo, with the same car, '24 'vette, but on my road; potholes deeper than 2 feet and wider than that. I feel bad for anybody without a Subaru or Jeep in my area. The roads are an absolute disgrace. But mayor and counsel consistently get their 6% annual raises.
The biggest issue facing American drivers today is their own stupidity-- whether it be their desire to be distracted while driving, or their complete ignorance of road laws (left-lane camping, refusing to let people merge etc) bad drivers make us all unsafe.
Same in Canada, but add don't adapt to road conditions (snow and ice especially)
It's the same problem as in all walks of life: education. Just very low standards. Which country makes it so easy to get a license or vote or acquire lethal weapons? Freedom used in ways that risks all those who are living with common sense safety. The freedom to mortally risk other people's lives without even giving it a thought. Take a guided tour at the wrong moment and you go to jail for years.
@@Cloxxki "Erm the issue is ackshully your freedoms" -You, the problem. (You're an idiot, like the people who I'm complaining about)
Education and constant distractions are the biggest issues.
As someone who is reading and replying while at a red light, I agree😅
You missed one massive factor. Road design. It's basic psychology and physics. People will always drive the speed they are comfortable. Adding more variables like roadside trees, narrow lanes, bump outs and chicanes, or even mixed pedestrian/car areas will make drivers slow down. But if we keep building city streets like they're 50mph highways and then slap a 30mph sign on it, we can't be at all surprised when drivers speed and people die.
Yes. Speed limits need to be appropriate for the road you're building and building slower roads gets you a lot of benefits. (One of those benefits is not getting where you need to be faster, but better urban design and public transportation helps there, as the places you need to be end up closer and when you have to go far, it's still quick without needing a car).
When I lived in NYC, I was offered a free car and turned it down. It wasn't worth the cost of insurance and headache of parking because I needed it so rarely.
True. Everyone gets off the highway at ~60mph and enters a 4 mile long 4 lane boulevard coming into my town, then wonders why the limit changes from 45 to 30 in half a mile before a 3-street triangular intersection that has 26+ stoplights. 🤦♂️
You missed a word in "People will always drive the speed they are comfortable": Most. Those who do not will probably kill you and/or themselves. When driving from A to B becomes a lottery, then there is something going wrong imho.
pls add more chicanes they're so much more fun to drive fast than straight roads
❤yes
You forgot Altima drivers with 4 bald tires slicing traffic at 90mph.
😂😂
It's me
❤❤😂
It’s me I am him except I only go 80 and let people pass
Bald tires actually have best traction if its dry. In the rain tho or gravel then yeah its over for you
I live near 270 in MD. The speed limit is 55. If you're not going 65 or 70, you're getting passed by almost everyone.
Espically in Frederick it’s 70mph and people are doubling like where are you going to be going that fast 70 is plenty fast tbh but when a cop is near by you should see them slow down an backing up traffic
@@prettycureforever7102. Somehow Maryland has figured out how to magically disable turn signals in all vehicles. 😂😂
I used to drive between DC and Baltimore for work and hands down, I've never seen such dangerous driving anywhere else in the US, and I've lived all over.
Illinois driver here. 57 is the same way. Limit 55, I go 70 to be safe and am still the slowest car.
I used to drive a truck governed at 63 and frequented that area. A lot of people used to do the special wave to let me know my driving was number one.
The college students that performed an experiment where they lined up on a four lane highway and went exactly 55mph showed that chaos ensued behind.
link? i wanna watch this
They did that in Atlanta back in the 1990s, I think... during rush hour. They got pulled over but I don't think they faced charges, but it F*d the entire CITY for a couple of hours because so many people were late and deliveries delayed, ect.
NOW, however... if they did that in 2024 I have serious doubts they would even survive the stunt.
@@amzarnacht6710it was in Atlanta in the early 2000’s before youtube. I think there are only 1 or 2 blurry videos about it. And it was much more than 4 lanes. They took up the entire width of a huge interstate, 7 or 8 lanes across, and all went exactly the speed limit. Spotters on bridges up ahead showed an empty highway, then a MASSIVE sea of cars as they passed by. Chaos ensued, including some pissed off drivers that actually tried shoulder passing and hit some of the students’ cars.
@@Patrick94GSR awesome. California does some weird crap where the police do the same thing. I remember lane sharing to the front (motorcycle) and seeing some officers doing the exact same thing. It was bizarre.
@ my bad, it was 4 lanes and it is on RUclips. Not sure if it was made sometime before it was posted though. ruclips.net/video/OoETMCosULQ/видео.htmlsi=Snbjp3vBvPWIpJMZ
It’s the side by side drivers for me. Why the hell do people do that?
To stop you from getting in their lane obviously.
@@Zuriki09 that’s where I just zip on through on my motorcycle.
Because they are NPC and aren't real people
I like to think Every person who does this secretly just wants to be on a train but can't 'cause 'Merica
@@Zuriki09 got me ready to act like squeeze benz fr
Here's how I view it:
1. Do NOT speed in a residential area, or on any stretch of road that is within close proximity to houses. You may hit a child, or pet, or pedestrian. Also, the noise of fast cars going by your house is really annoying.
2. Do not speed in unsafe conditions, such as on a road with lots of turns, or bumps, or hills, or in bad weather or heavy traffic.
3. If your on the freeway and there's almost no one around you and the road safe, go as fast as you want.
I think your list is perfect and basically how I drive, save for one missing point (maybe sub-point): Even when road conditions permit theoretically unlimited speed, if the roadway isn't fully access restricted (interstate, etc.), be mindful of intersections and side access roads since people run lights or don't estimate your speed properly.
More of an issue in rural areas where you have 2 lane divided highways but side roads still dump onto the main 55mph+ drag strip. Another rule I use from riding bikes is whatever the speed, make sure you have at least one feasible escape route for any action another vehicle could take on the road in front of you (short of dropping spike strips or something).
Those are my rules too. It's about common sense and knowing the limits of your vehicle.
Seems to check out until you’re doing your max speed and can’t slow down in time when catching up to the crowd. Seen accidents because of this EVERY Saturday on I-94 east into Milwaukee by the stadium. Saw 5 accidents within 1 mile last weekend, and a car smashed under a van up to its steering wheel because the semi truck behind it couldn’t stop. 🏆
Good rules
@@dannydaw59 So few people take time to learn thier vehicle.
The speed limit is either completely arbitrary or a source of income for the government or both. There’s no way you’re telling me safety comes in perfect intervals of 5 and 10.
Dumb argument. Lines need to be drawn somewhere. May as well be a round or *5 number. Doesn't mean it's exactly safe, but good enough
@@AxelNorenburger So you really don't care what really is safe, and you're ok with a random guess.
Ok. But my argument is dumb lmfao?
I'm a Civil Engineering student and a speeder,
The safety values that are calculated are not in intervals of 5 and 10, but are rounded down as it's easier to keep track of intervals of 5, and rounding down is seen as safer by AASHTO, which is where a lot of regulations for speed limits come from. (For example a safe speed limit of 57.8 will be rounded down to 55mph). Factors for speed design include the angle of a curve, clearance (empty area from side of the road), weather conditions, braking distance, and estimated reaction times based on a poor driver with a heavy car.
While most people could comfortably drive 20 mph over, they are essentially designed to drive at a safe speed for bad drivers in winter
@@Thecelestial1 You're claiming the intervals of 5-10 is somehow "perfect", no, it's just a good round number. Psychology takes part in this. Your suggestion that "safety comes in perfect intervals" is absolutely ridiculous and you should be laughed at for such a dumb statement. The speed limit is not an "arbitrary" source. It's there to reduce harm. If a speed limit of 25 is posted in a residential area with yards where kids play, then drive fucking 25. It's not that hard, it gives you plenty of time to react to kid running on to the street, and you avoid yourself a lawsuit, jail, and even if something goes wrong the judge will be asking you if were going the speed limit. Use some common sense man, it's not that difficult.
@ Exactly, this value cannot possibly be implemented based on the different cars and conditions; speed limit for a fully loaded tractor trailer would need a different number than a truck pulling a boat different number than a compact car different number than a motorcycle all different when the weather changes, condition of the road, condition of the tires.
Painting a broad brush by appealing to the lowest common denominator and then telling people it’s for your “safety” to drive that speed is a complete lie.
If it weren’t used as a truncheon against citizens I wouldn’t care, but it is. Limits will never go away because they bring in billions in revenue, which is revolting.
The problem is the road is not design for the speed limit they are intended for. Some roads say 35 mph but are made like wide expressway roads for 50 mph. I have been to European roads, especially the Netherlands, where the speed limit signs and roads are designed to meet the speed limit indicated. American road design is so archaic that I am not surprised this is happening.
This is vey true. Your brain will tell you the road looks like a 30 mph rd or 50
@@boywhohadatiger first it has to be proper trained. For humans normal speed is about 6km/h or walking speed. For anything higher your brain needs to adapt and learn how to react.
www.youtube.com/@kazekai8, which happens when a street with a lot of pedestrians needs to be widened to accomodate more vehicles which happens when car centric murica decides that places that logically should be pedestrianized shall be automobile focused causing people that would otherwise walk to work to have to buy a vehicle causing it to be almost impossible to just break even financially if they have only just entered the workforce and work in a typical shop or whatnot. If only some of these stroads had sidewalks or even a bike path here and there.
If you think planned obsolescence is bad, let them design roads like that. The Netherlands and the US are two completely different scales. My STATE is four times the size of the Netherlands and growing FAST. If they built roads like that: a) no one would get anywhere (it's already bad) both due to congestion and distance, b) addressing growth would involve metric buttloads of money to buy people out and force them to move via eminent domain, and c) the amount of time needed to even try to address growth would be plotted on a glacial time scale, all just so they can still be one step or more behind population. My state added more people in the last four years than the Netherlands did in the last fifteen years. Two. Completely. Different. Scales.
Totally agree, and it goes both ways too. I've driven on plenty of rural roads that were marked 55mph or 45mph but really should have been 35mph.
Small, windy two-lane roads with no shoulder, and dangerously close to nearby houses.
The locals obviously know the roads, but it's dangerous for the unfamiliar.
The problem is that the speed limits are very frequently inappropriate for the road. And there's conflict of interest to ever fix that, because the state gets lots of ticket money from this poor management
Yes.
Houston has a 4 lane road running along Addicks Resevoir with a 40 mph speed limit. There are few side roads intersections and most cars run 60+ mph. The limit is a joke and traffic moves fine.
There are no shoulders and no where a cop can park.
Yup, we got these windy ass mountain roads going 55 and borderline highways going 35
There's a shopping area near me that has 4 lanes wide with 4 way stop intersections and speed bumps. The posted speed limit is 10km/h (6mph) 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
That's why I ignore them and go off based on road conditions and both my own and my cars limits
Except while passing, my dad is a strict 60-65mph guy on the interstate due to “speed kills”. It is absolutely terrifying being in the car with him because the flow of traffic is 15+ mph faster and everyone has to swerve around him. In an attempt to be safer, he’s actually endangering himself and other drivers more. In other words, “speed variability kills”
I had my mom driving me to work one time when I was in college. She was doing 45 in the left lane of the beltway, and people were honking and passing her.
I told her straight up that she either speeds up, or she changes lanes to be in the right lane, because she was going to cause an accident.
The idea that “speed kills” is what drivers who have anxiety cling to, and it actively makes conditions worse for everybody.
I'm the same way and there's nothing terrifying about it, gtfoh 😂😂😂 but yeah, we should definitely blame the people following traffic laws and safety regulations lol.
@@ATTACKofthe6STRINGSI used for drive for a living in a vehicle limited to 55 and never had a single issue anywhere ever. Y'all just want to justify your behavior when you drive recklessly.
Does he not know slow drivers are way more dangerous then speeders?
@@dcsquared69 he said 45 on the highway. Learn to read.
One thing that needs to be pointed out is that Germany is smaller than the state of Texas. Germany has a population density of 628 per square mile, whereas the United States has a population density of only 98 per square mile. So, with that in mind, it makes sense that U.S. tax dollars are spread very thin when trying to build and maintain roads.
Thank you im tired of our country being compared to tiny countries like we're exactly the same. Doesn't apply. Sorry for the rant but it also applies to the differences between each state. I live in wyoming and people in New York and LA think we should live like them doesn't apply. We are night and day different. Any thanks for the common sense take.
Right, but most states are smaller than Germany, and in the US it's the States, not the Feds that maintain the roads.
Exactly, and the taxes are much higher there. Are you willing to pay $8 a gallon for gas to have slightly nicer roads where you can go slightly faster? Here in Texas we already have 85 MPH speed limits and many people don't even drive that fast. It takes a LOT of fuel. I have a semi and it's shocking how much more fuel it takes at 85 compared to 55. Using halfway more fuel + 2x the fuel cost = 3x the total fuel cost per mile, just to get there slightly faster? No thanks.
@castirondude Not to take away from your point, but a semi truck is basically a brick on wheels. Its no surprise it takes a lot more fuel as wind resistance/ friction increases
Well, that's a small part of it. The big part of it is that Germany's govt is de facto subsidized by the US govt.
If we had the strict lane discipline like in some European countries that alone would make a huge difference.
And suddenly a certain group are off the road
In one sense, I agree with you. Your statement, however assumes one thing. Enforcement. I guarantee you that the European drivers are the same as USA drivers--the difference is enforcement. We in the USA need to fund the Police. Get a ton more cops enforcing the speed limit...and other rules. The issue would go away quickly (or be greatly reduced).
@@williamwood1776 I agree 100%.
@@williamwood1776 Nope, not even close. I have driven in Germany a lot. Driving in Germany is like being in a ballet, everyone is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. They drive in the driving lane, get over to pass, pass, and get back out of the way. They get a lot more cars through 2 lanes of pavement than we get through 3.
When I spent several months there in the 80's I learned that the effort and expense to get a driver's license in Germany (my cousin was getting his at the time) was about the same as getting a pilot's license in the US (which I had just done). No comparison to drivers training here.
And they _dont_ have much enforcement, maybe 1/10 of what is here in the US, because there they _actually_ do it for safety - not as a major source of revenue as in the US. Make a law - Germans obey it; its the culture. Biggest problem on the Autobahn today is the fact that Germany is the crossroads of the EU and has to let non-Germans use the highway, particularly the trucks - which makes it difficult to see road signs because the entire right lane (where trucks are mostly required to be) is just one continuous truck.
US police are already funded at *historically high* rates. They just don’t do their job. Look up traffic enforcement statistics from before 2020 vs after.
You miss a really important point about EU and US roads: in EU no one is FORCED to drive a car - if they're not comfortable, they'll take trains, busses, or other public or personal transport like bicycles. In the US you pretty much HAVE to have a car, there's just no way around it, unless you live in a big city next to your job.
Exactly this. I live and work in Edinburgh, Scotland and rarely use my car for my 8 mile commute because I can use the tram or cycle which is much less hassle. Giving people options is key to freeing them from the tyranny of driving.
@@raithrover1976 there's the reason we have this difference. You just called eight miles a commute. To most Americans eight miles is a quick trip. A commute is 50 - 100 miles. My commute is currently 80 miles. Things are much farther apart here in the states and public transport is exponentially more expensive because of that.
@@haagenslash5963 Wtf 80 miles?! That was certainly your choice to pick a job that far away. I ride my bike 22 miles to work here in America
My current job is my shortest commute and it's 30 miles one way. My previous job was 120 miles one way, and I took it because it was that or extended unemployment. I only got this job because I knew someone.
@@haagenslash5963 We also brought this on ourselves by seeing cars as the solution to distance and intentionally building infrastructure that basically forces things like schools, housing areas, shopping/dining areas, etc. to all be miles away from each other in different zoning areas and frequently a long way away from any kind of city center. It didn't have to be this way, but short-sighted planning plus more intentional things like white flight brought us to a point where every family is obligated buy a $50,000 passenger shuttle if they want to have two or more kids.
I had a dash camera a few years ago. It showed the most dangerous part of driving was intersections. Cars were running traffic lights frequently.
Wow
@@LAY_OUTKING I had previously loaded many of these clips to my RUclips channel. Enjoy.
Good reason for traffic circles.
that is one of the reasons why the Autobahn highways in Germany are relatively safe compared with other roads: there are no same level intersections. just entry ramps, exit ramps, cloverleaves etc.
they run lights because they are driving too fast to stop in time
Honestly just my own opinion, im a truck driver thats driving easily 200k to 250k a year. The biggest issue out on the roads today is yes distracted drivers but mostly self entitled drivers with no respect for other drivers.
I’m a trucker too and I agree, and they don’t understand either how use truckers can stop as quickly so they always cross us, cut us off or slow down in front of us after switching lanes I hate it
I'm from California and I've driven hundreds of miles on the Autobahn. It's a delight driving over there. People pay attention and follow the rules. It's not even stressful driving there.
because people have the freedom of choice to drive in Germany
In America, you almost need to drive,
which means people who aren’t capable of driving end up on the road
100% Europeans are much better drivers in my experience (from Canada).
I find it pretty good recently - I've been a driver in vehicles going from the UK to Slovenia and back most summers since ~2000, and those have been pretty good trips, but I had a terrifying Autobahn drive in wet weather around 1990 where slowing down or keeping even a small fraction of a safe distance in poor conditions seemed to be entirely taboo for far too many drivers, many of whom found pretty quick karma.
@@BenjaminShulman My understanding is it is MUCH harder to get a license in the EU, so that would make sense.
Germans follow the rules because it is incredibly difficult and expensive to get your driver's license in Germany, and it's incredibly easy for your license to be revoked. Perhaps Americans could learn something about raising the bar, and not just letting every Tyrone, Dick, and Harry get on the roads.
Here are the biggest issues with driving in the United States:
1. Lack of education. The process for obtaining your license is a joke. Some people can’t grasp basic concepts like turning on your headlights in inclement weather, or at NIGHTTIME. It infuriates me to see people driving at night with no lights on. Or how about the people who leave their high beams on? “WhY aRe YoU fLaShInG mE??!!” Earth-to-NPC, you see that blue icon on your instrument cluster? It means that you’re burning my retinas! Most people have no idea what any of the icons mean so it’s a losing battle anyways.
2. Lack of enforcement. Law enforcement really only focuses on one thing: speeding, and even that they don’t really enforce unless it’s the end or the beginning of the month when it’s time to fill quotas. People take note of this lack of enforcement and figure out that they can get away with a lot of things like distracted driving and speeding.
3. Post-COVID Main Character energy. As someone who’s been driving almost 10 years, driving was never this bad pre-COVID. People have become more selfish, more impatient, and less considerate than ever before, and a lot of people who have no business being behind the wheel of a motor vehicle were able to obtain licenses during the pandemic.
4. New cars have too many safety features. You have mandated backup cameras, Lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, etc. People assume that these features will enable the car to drive for them, when in reality, these are passive systems. Pair that with a subpar training program and people think driving is a joke. And that’s really the key factor of why Americans are generally such bad drivers. They don’t take it seriously. There’s an invincibility complex that people have adopted. They don’t adjust their speed for poor road conditions, because they think the car will defy physics for them.
Most of the time it’s not people have their high beams on. That’s just how LED lights are from factory on new cars. I can tell when Teslas have their high beams but it also doesn’t matter because your retinas are already burnt away if they aren’t. My friend put LEDs in his is300 and my MR2 has them but our eyes are burnt away without even touching the high beams
5. Speed limits are always 15% less than what the roads are designed for, due to greed.
I started riding a motorcycle this year. The number of times I have almost been hit from people not looking when merging or coming out of a stop, and/or disregarding the stop sign entirely, is appalling.
That, and I'm constantly seeing people texting or scrolling through their phone while doing 80+ on the interstate.
So yeah, I would agree: it's a combination of lax driver education and a lack of enforcement.
Amen
ESC saves lives - it doesn't make drivers worse. Ditto for ABS.
The other factor that affects road safety in Germany is duannual, stringent vehicle inspections. If your vehicle isn’t up to Autobahn speeds with control. Are your brakes below 20%? Are your tires bald? You don’t get your mandatory safety certificate until those problems are corrected. Many US vehicles wouldn’t come close to passing the inspection.
Exactly half the people drive with bald tires 🤣
Meanwhile, PA has had talks of removing it for years... Because it's "too expensive"... Having seen what goes around in non inspection or low brow inspection states... it makes me glad we at least have SOME type of standard even if it's pretty weak.
Lots of people are poor in the U.S. yet there is no alternative to driving. People love to make smarmy cracks about it, but when its suggested we invest heavily in public transit those same people launch into sarcastic comments with like 15 laugh cry faces.
Here in Norway your car will be banned from the road if one non mandatory marking light do not work, not one single thing on their check list have to be wrong. My big box van is now illegal to drive on Norwegian roads because one of the marking lights is not working, to fix it I either have to replace it or remove the pair of marking lights completely. My box van has 10 marking lights that keep going out at random every time I am at chekup and it blocks me from getting my van approved for 4 years now and it is only 10 years old, I am just about to give up ...
here in california they don't actually give a shit about how safe your car is...the only thing they care about is smog, it's ridiculous
Stay out of the passing lane unless you’re actually passing shouldn’t be such a hard concept for the average driver.
I know right?
Yea your gonna wrong in to the wrong person one day buddy :)
It's not universally enforced, so enough people learn to drive without ever hearing the concept
Distracted driving is the biggest problem today.
No its not. The biggest problem is left lane camping. This causes people to get frustrated and desperate to pass. So risky driving starts to escalate. Tailgating pisses off the driver in front. Then that driver escalates by slowing down to make the tailgater even more frustrated. Then more people get stuck behind the escalating debacle. Then more risky lane switching starts to occur. Suddenly you have a group of cars stuck in a competition of growing frustration. You pass a cop and and they watch as the one left lane camper is disrupting the flow and does nothing to enforce the law. Frustration escalates more that cops only target speeders. Suddenly you have the beginning of road rage. Drivers decrease distance. Now everyone is tailgating to prevent the risky lane switching. If you are lucky the driver finally stops camping in the left lane. In the mean time the road rage continues. The group speeds to the next left lane camper. Then you have the one distracted driver against the group of road ragers. The distracted driver then becomes a problem because the road ragers race to position and the distracted driver cuts them off and an accident occurs. All this begins with the a-hole that wants to camp in the left lane. I see this everyday! The distracted driver is a problem but is only the end result of other symptoms. If the cops would uphold the law and start to ticket the left lane campers, half the problems would end on the road.
@@ibewscott69didn't even read, whatever it is its wrong. distracted driving is worse than drunk driving. at least the drunks tied to hit the brakes.
Most people would prefer to be doing anything other than drive for more than 30 min at a time.
@@ibewscott69 you must live in TN also
@@elk4331Distracted drivers tend to camp in the left lane the most.
You’ll see one distracted driver cruising in the left lane and nearly causing multiple accidents as other cars start jumping lanes to get around them.
And maybe it’s stupidity or ego but they refuse to move out the left lane.
So yeah if you’re going 70mph in the passing lane and a car up ahead is going 45mph just bopping their head and cruising. The driver actually passing other cars might run into the back of the car not passing in the left lane and holding everything up.
I am old enough to remember driving through Nevada when the speed limit was "reasonable and proper". On that trip I was driving at 110 MPH and passed a police car who was traveling at ~90 MPH. No problem, as this was WAY out in the middle of nowhere.
Driving on those long stretches of empty road out in the middle of Nevada desert, where you are surrounded by absolutely nothing and no one …
I’m sure we all have ended up speeding 😅
I recall being pulled over going about 145mph -
When he was walking up to my car after I’d pulled over, he was whistling in awe-
The cop literally was laughing - he said “I must say… technically I have to impound your car and take you to the station - but? I’m just impressed… I want a turn behind that wheel! I’ll write you 10 miles over instead of 75 - save you a bunch of headache…”
He was such a good guy. I’m so, so glad he was such a good guy!
I have never driven that way, since.
@@mason96575smart because there are animals in the desert who would have ruined your day
I heard the cops out there nowadays essentially ask you for $20 if they pull you over, to make it look like they're doing their job, then they let you continue speeding.
Essentially, no tickets, no crime, just a small fee to speed to your heart's content.
@@bugjamsNow that is the kind of corruption I can get behind
Still not a good idea. Better hope you never blow a tire or hit a large animal.
I live in FL and 70 mph on the interstate is plenty fast for me.
As a professional truck driver with over 2 million miles driven, I can say that speed limits have always mostly been useless (after the federal 55 was lifted).
Edit, for clarification, in not saying the 55mph limit was useful for either fuel savings or crash safety. I was merely using it as the beginning point of modern speed limits as the federal 55 was lifted.
What aggravates me is that speed is RARELY a CAUSE of vehicle collisions. Its the things that police have never really focused ticket writing on: following too close, distracted driving (aka looking at the cell phone), aggressive lane changing. Note that Germany focuses on these causes in their driver training that the US doesn't.
Also note that the vehicle related fatality rate in USA translates to about the same number of fatalities as firearm incidents, about 30,000 per year (with another 100,000 injuries). People in the USA don't recognize vehicles as potentially deadly weapons. We see them as toys.
I've seen more police on their phones than anyone else while driving, it's ridiculous
@xandermauldin9855 I saw one yesterday in Houston in a lifted pick up truck with low profile "police" decals, a different take on urban stealth. Most people wouldn't be able to see up into the vehicle. Sure enough, on his phone in traffic.
Also, distracted driving and vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death among police officers. Typical do as I say, not as I do mentality.
Either way, police aren't really interested in promoting traffic safety or securing public safety. The primary goal of police is revenue generation. In Texas (probably other states too), a law had to be passed to limit the budget % a municipality could get from traffic tickets.
Even so, cops are writing tickets for speed, not the things that ACTUALLY CAUSE collisions.
@@Texas240Or drunk drivers or people going under the speed limit MASSIVELY or merging the wrong way or not using their turn signals or mirrors, those things should be put forth waaaaaayyy before speeding but that's my European mindset.
@Random63R400 you're right. He mentions the speed differential as a crash cause in the vid. Texas used to have a minimum speed but even then it was something like minimum 45 maximum 65 which is a crash waiting to happen if vehicles meet at those speeds.
Also ties in with passing on the correct side instead of the wrong side.
@@xandermauldin9855or on their laptop
Grandma drivers driving under the speed limit is also a danger. You cannot be going 30-40 on a curvy 50, especially if you can easily do 60-65 on that same road.
yes you can. speed limit is limit not the speed u go. cars in 1905 couldnt even go 30 on a curve so just calm down and allow people to drive safely
Something that was not mentioned in this video is that Germany uses variable speed limits. When you are on the autobahn, there are electronic signs telling you most of the time you're good to go. HOWEVER... when those signs light up there's a good reason for it - weather ahead, accident, congestion - that's something that does a much better job of grabbing drivers' attention. Remember too that they also have an 85th percentile suggestion (instead of a rule) there, which is 130 km/h or about 80MPH, called the Richtgeschwindigkeit. They just don't go any further than a suggestion unless it's truly necessary.
The UK has them for our motorways but always seems to never be anything or way too late. Common one is "pedestrian spotted" which of course is the most dangerous but it has a high false positive rate which makes people less sensitive to it even though it is the most serious. Whilst in Germany if this comes I see police straight away, great warnings for the use of the tunnels which can have stood traffic within them. Smart motorways are a good idea but copy Germany and not the UK as ours are awful.
North Americans are far too infantile for methods employed in Continental Europe.
So my car hates going over 70mph so you know what i do? I stay my ass in the right lane and let people that can go fast do their thing.
I'm with you and I'm not crazy about the extra gas I consume just to get there a few minutes earlier. Are we in a race ?
@@WraithBlackthorn damn, the bitter taste of defeat
Sorry, but most speed limits are actually 55. So you are going almost 15 miles faster than the limit, which is almost a felony. Oh, and is that your plate in your profile picture?
@@hahawoshedman4017 my states speed limit is 70mph on most highways. And its a vanity plate because my state doesnt require front plates.
@@euroberto85 Doesn't change the fact that I've already reported your vehicles description to the police. Do better next time.
I'll give my perspective. I grew up with an aviation and automotive family. We worked on planes (flew them too, my Dad was an airline pilot) and cars (had an auto shop + used car dealership). We had a bunch of corvettes and sporty cars. I was always interested in racing, got into a racing sim when I was 8 (Live For Speed!). I wanted to do shifter cart racing but never had the money to do it. But I raced on the computer, all classes of cars, stock civic-esque cars to F1, and rally, did stuff, etc. Drove golfcarts and offroad go-carts, rode my bikes, dirtbikes. It taught you how to do basic stuff and safe driving by the time I was 15 for my permit. I already knew about tire loading, braking distance, weight transfer, high-performance braking. At 15. I drove on that sim for hours a day from 8 to 15. When I got my permit I did my own skidpad stuff in empty parking lots. J-turns, going 30mph and intentionally panic braking, spinning out the car. Hitting the e-brake and making it slide. Left, right. Did it in the dirt too. Only things I haven't done is go 50MPH on an empty stretch of road at night and panic stop to appreciate what the heavy stopping would be like. Or on the highway at 70MPH. Thought I'd leave that for the track. Fast forward to now, in my late 20s, I feel like a more competent and safe driver than most. I haven't raced yet (damn disability got me the past 3 years) but having a good reaction time and everything primed if something happens keeps me safe. Never expect people to do what they're supposed to do. Keep your head on a swivel. Always anticipate someone is going to pull out/pull in or do something stupid. I attribute a lot of my build up to my driving skills to my sim time. How does this apply to this video:
Despite never being on a track or done high speed driving (racing or autobahn), I feel more than competent to drive at faster speeds. I appreciate the braking distance equation and the performance of my car, stability (braking, suspension, engine, weight of car). Dry or wet.
I did some low speed makeshift skid pad stuff, I've appreciated when my tires go from the static coefficient of friction to dynamic. It's a big difference dry or wet.
I appreciate the kinetic energy equation. Speed does kill, especially if your dv/dt is over 50Gs to your head. 100Gs to your body.
There's nothing but car performance, training, and good psychology that'll make faster driving safer. So we'd need to basically copy the German license standard to make safe unrestricted driving possible. Skid pad, instruction, etc.
Rules need to be changed too. The US doesn't treat tail-gating and left-lane passing, stay right as you can unless you need to laws as strictly as they do in Germany. We need better laws and much better training.
So this is how I'd do it:
Local city routes should be strict speed limits. No need to speed there. The speed limits there are fine. Plus traffic control stuff (narrowing roads, etc).
Highway: unrestricted except through large or medium sized metro areas (like Miami). The FL turnpike should be unrestricted completely. Roads fixed and rengineered for these speeds.
New licensing requirements. If you wish to do unrestricted speed driving you need to go through more training than the regular driver. This doesn't give you a license to do whatever you want speed wise. Germany has a law about going as fast as the road conditions are dependent on road conditions. Otherwise it is reckless driving, especially if you cause an accident.
So should we make unrestricted sections of interstates here? I think the investment for that would be better spent on increasing driver education and experience than we have today (i.e. adding in skidpad requirement, high-performance vehicle driving, braking) which will increase safety. And increasing the speed limit on open rural areas to 100MPH, conditions permitting, with the tail-gating and right lane rules enforced. And the new training stated above. The first time most drivers go sideways in a car or hit the brakes hard is before a crash. That's got to stop. I think if we fix that, we can have a discussion about going beyond there. But until then, tail-gating laws (we really need the half-speed rule here) and left-lane passing rules seem to be a fix to current safety concerns of speeding drivers and the 85th percentile rule.
I lived in Germany for three years, early in my formative driving years where I was forced to develop good habits and be educated on lots driving laws. When I moved back to the US and saw the amount of people not using blinkers, camping in the passing lane, not yeilding to pedestrians, or not knowing how to use a round about absolutely blew my mind. We absolutely NEED a much more strict licensing system here, no question.
AMEN BROTHA! Amen!
We do, but before we can do that, we must make our society less car dependent. Imagine not being allowed to work, eat, go to the doctor, or even vote because you can't get a license. In Germany, this works great, in the US we are so dependant on our cars just to survive. So long as driving being required to live is a thing, not licensing idiots kills them. Letting them on the roads mean people die, but banning them from the roads also means people die.
Love the ones that are in the Far Right Lane of a 3 Lane and a Turning Lane both Sides, decides to make a Left Hand Turn.. and the Truck Work lets you use, Brakes Fade so bad, you almost Hit Her.. and then Work Blames you for the Brakes...
@@nada13_08 I hate that illogical argument. It presumes that the size/scope of the US can support lower car ownership. It just isn't practical.
@@nada13_08 Spoken like a true Leftist Authoritarian.
Cars are freedom in the United States. They let you go where you want, when you want.
You're not forced into a schedule and route to travel.
And the other reason it works in Germany vs here is because the U.S. is 27 times bigger than Germany.
Besides, most mass transportation in the U.S. is government run.
That's way too much control.
You want lockdowns? Just let your government control your every movement.
Besides, there's so much open space in this country. Tru connecting Whitefish, Montana with Sheridan, Wyoming with a light rail.
It always seems to be these snooty, smug liberals who live in high density population areas that would never lower themselves to leaving the city that live to tell everyone else how they should live.
They're literally clueless about places that have grass and fields instead of concrete where you can literally see for miles and there's only one or two houses per square mile.
IF they do leave the city, they fly in on their private plane to the private airport and take their private limo to their private estate.
Hopefully without having to see those hicks.
“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.” J. Clarkson
If only the decision makers actually understood it..
If you suddenly become stationary at walking speeds, you'll be fine. Doing so at 100km/h and you wont be. It's the speed that makes it worse and it's the speed that makes it more likely.
@@PolarTrancecar speeds and walking speeds are not equal, sudden stops in cars aren’t the same. You can be seriously hurt or worse no matter the speed in a car
@@334ben10 I'm assuming you'd wear a seatbelt in my version of the saying... You can't get seriously hurt if you're going walking speed in a car and slam the breaks, unless you were extremely fragile and not wearing a seat belt. Most people would find driving absolutely terrifying if a walking speed stop seriously hurt you or worse. Since that's not even that rare.
@@334ben10 I am aware that 5km/h is not "REMOTELY the same" to +100km/h. Why do you think I'm not aware of that? I mention walking as a fun response to the funny clarkson quote. Do you take the Clarkson quote seriously or do you get why it's a joke? If you get the joke, mine is the same, but other way around and not as funny.
@@334ben10 I think you are quite confused, I never said "Slow moving cars stopping is the same as a person walking and stopping". I mentioned "walking speeds", which is not the same thing as walking. And the speed matter even when you're in a car. fast speed and slow speed are not the same, except for both being about speed and I never said anything else. Cars do go at walking speeds and much faster, I never disagreed or claimed otherwise. I also never said walking speed should be the limit, though now that you said it, in some places like pedestrian only streets, that is a safe speed.
To get your drivers license in Germany is about $5000.00 which includes teaching people how to drive at high speed.
It's like that across most of Europe, though the Belgians can't drive to save themselves for some reason.
And so, driving is only accessible to people who aren't poor
In America people would drive without one.
I honestly think that there should be an age restriction on how fast you can go. Under the age of 21; get a ticket for speeding. Over the age of 75; get a ticket for speeding. Most young ppl are too inexperienced to drive fast and most elderly ppl are too slow to react in critical situations. The faster you go the quicker the reaction time you need.
It's not just the cost, they have an extremely strict teaching methodology and curriculum/courses that need to be passed with at least 90% and no more than 10 error points. On top of that you have to have your vehicle inspected every 2 years for roadworthiness
Current driving education in the US is not anywhere near stringent enough to have something like the autobahn, but speed limits are absolutely too low on most US freeways. The I-205 corridor running through Portland OR and Vancouver WA has a speed limit of 55-60 for most of it, but traffic is either moving at a crawl, or everyone is doing 75+
Even if they increase the speed limits by 20 mph people will still go 20 mph over the speed limit just to save 2 minutes.
Because they’re stupid and selfish.
Probably not, mainly because those people speeding now are driving to their capabilities, and as creatures of habit a 20mph bump in the speed limit, would probably mean most people would start driving 5mph below because 80 seems to be a sweet spot for American Vehicles. Idaho is 85 in most places, rarely is anyone in the passing lane. As in almost never, Idaho also has the safest roads statistically. I understand though, if those limits were set higher you wouldn't be able to blame all of your own driving mistakes on the guy trying to pass your slow ass.
@@SaanMigwellI take a two lane highway 20 miles to and from work every day, and nothing pisses me off more than someone going 60 in the left lane and refusing to move over. The rest of traffic trying to do 75-80. How do people not realize/care that literally everyone is passing them?
2 minutes is generous…..more like 40 seconds MAX.
@@alien5589 you do realize speeding saves you less than 5 minutes a week right?
There's a psychological element in play as well. Road engineers will design a wide 4 lane collector in a neighborhood with strait lines that feels like a highway, then slap 35 mph on it and expect people to travel that speed. If you want people to drive slow, design a narrow enclosed road that will force people to drive slow with curves, trees, roundabouts, and other things that restrict your line of sight ahead.
This doesn't 100% work. You will still have idiots that think they can go 120 in a 25mph school zone cause AMERICAN FREEEEEEDOME! or other such nonsense. PROOF? You ask for proof?
Well anacdotal is all I have atm on this: Every other time I go out driving past a certain high school, that comes right off a MAJOR highway/road in our area... there's at least one person pulled over... if not every time some times!
They do that because they almost want people to speed. It's like a trap, feel like speeding today? go right ahead and speed so that we can ticket you and generate a lot of revenue for the city. Straight roads are also cheaper to design and build. At the end of the day it always comes down to money.
He talked about it in the video
this is the same reason that those massive intersections with no traffic lights in places like india are able to work without frequent accidents: when there is nothing directing drivers, they are forced to figure it out themselves because nobody wants to get in an accident.
honestly i've learned that if you speed on an onramp, you have less of a chance of causing an accident when merging into traffic
Well yeah the point is to match the speed of the freeway, not to merge at 45 mph.
@gujwdhufjijjpo9740 exactly!! But far too oftan I see people not even doing 30 on the on ramps then shooting out into the next lane causing them to all slow down. It does nothing but increase the risk of accidents. Honestly people need to go back to driving school
That's what I figured, but the speed trap camera van that pinched me disagreed.
I go slow on the on and off ramps, but accelerate hard on the last bit just before merging back in.
it would probably help if we commit to calling them acceleration ramps.
I am from Australia and have visited the US a few times, on my first trip over I was totally blown away by how much everyone was exceeding the speed limit. And I also found drivers to be much more reckless.
I’m also from Australia and am blown away by how poor the driving standards are here (refusing to use the left lane on clear motorways etc), not to mention the state of the roads.
As much as I would like to see the limit raised to 130kmh (matching some far more crowded Europe roads) I would worry for my safety given the morons we share our roads with.
well if you uncle ' jimbob ' here in that states,, teaches you how to drive,, this is you answer
On the contrary, it's remarkable how well drivers stick to the speed limit in Australia compared to almost every other country I've been in
@@flatf3057 Not sure if you were replying to me?. Either way, I agree with you on speed limit adherence in Australia and I didn’t raise that as an issue. The police and feds have done such a thorough job of terrifying people that realise they may be going 5km over the limit, that it’s not a big problem here.
Lane discipline, cutting in front when you leave a safe gap, and generally poor driving standards are what I was referring to. The key to safety is the lengthy and pricey German model of new driver training. A license should be a privilege not a right
@@BaconSandwich72 For sure, if we had better driving standards and lane discipline maybe that extra 5-10km over wouldn't be such an issue with police
I recently read a book from an Iwo Jima veteran that talked about driving around in the US during the war. The national speed limit in 1944 and 1945 were 45 mph. I couldn't imagine crawling from one city to another at that speed.
I drive for a living in the US, and I agree with the comments stating the main problem is driver stupidity. The US consistantly fails to properly educate about and enforce safe driving habits. This leads to drivers making poor decisions without receiving cosequenses. This makes them think it was a good idea which they then repeat until the inevitable accident that poor decision leads to occurs. The amount of lane cutting, especially without turn signals is getting worse. I see people start taking an exit then cutting across the pair of solid lines and separating median, just to get in front of a semi that was going the same speed as the three cars in front of it. The trucks end up hitting their brakes to let the moron in, slowing traffic behind them, and causing more cars to try and get around them.
Pilots have to have regular medical checks, recurrent training and check-rides... Would be a good thing for drivers. Would get some of the dangerous ones off the road and make sure the ones still driving actually know the rules and follow them... Turn signals anyone?
@@gt2847cand people wonder why we don't have flying cars, lol
There known as impatient assholes.
Education never cured stupid people from making stupid decisions, if the stupid decision made them happier.
I 100% agree. Until about a month ago I was always driving a ridiculously high speed, and then I got a speeding ticket. Because of how fast I was going (98 in a 65- mind you it was at 1am, I never would drive like this with people around) I had to do a driver safety course. It was so eye opening and completely changed my view of driving. The statistics are crazy, at least in my state your chance of dying in a car crash goes up by like 200% from 45 mph to 65 mph. I think most people know that driving and speeding is dangerous, but you don't realize just how dangerous it is until you actually sit down and look at the data.
Its not the fast lane, its the passing lane
Yea im passing you while your going 40mph on a highway
It's the fast lane
Fast lane
Passing lane
Whatever you wanna call it,
Signs everywhere say
"Slower traffic keep right"
@@zimzim7 No it’s not. You should never ride in the left lane. You pass, and then move back over in case someone else wants to pass you.
No, it’s the fast lane. If you can’t keep up with traffic flow, GTF out of the way. I Fn loathe slow drivers. Traffic is typically bad enough as is, let alone some idiot doing 10 miles an hour under the limit or just at the speed limit, while everyone else is going around them.
Riding a motorcycle and stopping for a red light is my worse fear. I always wonder if the car behind me is going to be able to stop before hitting me.
Man......with mild sleet earlier today, i'm waiting for a left turn signal......and I hear that non-abs tire-locking screeeeeeeeech behind and to the right and see some old damn lady in a 90s Benz just skid to a stop at the same red light 2 lanes over. And bitch was on the phone, in hand to ear and all, too.....
I'd shit myself if I was on just 2 wheels.
I feel for you man. People ride asses like they're on a fking donkey. Fk em
I drive a sedan and a suv and still have the same feeling as you 😂😂
This is why lane filtering should be legal everywhere.
@@greatBLT just curious, why do you feel the need to be at the front of the line?
We break the speed law so much here in Cincinnati, they started laying out speed humps.
For Texas… Don’t speed in Houston, but in Dallas don’t pass the cop that’s already going 80 and you’re good.
2:48 This stood out so much to me earlier this year on a trip to Poland. The left lane was always open unless someone was passing. Blew my mind how less stressful such a simple rule made driving!
I suspect what actually blew your mind, was that everyone was actually willing to apply/employ the rule as a collective. Co-operating to make the road system work better for everyone, unlike where I live, where there are so many ignorant self obsessed lane blockers that think they are the only person on the roads. Stupid is as stupid does.
And drivers in Poland are actually pretty fast and reckless compared to other countries in Europe. Most chill I've seen are in Sweden and Norway, people often just sit 5 kph below speed limit and rarely overtake anyone.
That is because they do not hand out tickets for speeding, they hand out tickets for illegal lane usage
The average American doesn’t have the intelligence for this to work
We have those rules in nearly every locality here, too;
1. "Always-Follow-The-Speed-Limit" goodie-goodieness is over-expressed in both our culture and our Driving-Ed schools, so this rule is often not even explicitly taught in drivers' ed.
2. Police NEVER - and I mean N-E-V-E-RRRR - enforce left-lane laws.
Eliminating speed limits on highways and putting all highway traffic enforcement into lane discipline would drastically increase safety AND drastically reduce congestion. The amount of congestion I see driving anywhere in this country caused by people spreading out across all lanes of a highway and driving the same speed is incredible. It wastes a huge amount of time and fuel.
LMAO dumbass
Them’s fightin words here in Louisiana. Some communities rely on their speeding tickets for income. That being said I fully endorse this idea
8:37 NO, driver education is key, the discipline shown by German drivers still amazes me and I cry when behind someone in the left going below the limit to annoy me instead of just moving over
MKBHD proved they dont work anymore
Based
What was the video? I missed it
@@ChrisLoew in his latest vid titled "how my video gear is changing" there was a segment where he went 96mph in a 30mph kids zone with a lambo revuelto where he blurred the speedo but didnt blur the passanger speedo so people saw it, he since removed that section from the vid but people saved it
@@Darx97 hahaha its really not one of his better years, this one.
No one cares
2:24 “they’re all in metric. What the hell is that about” 😭😭
When we were stationed in Germany there were plenty of speed limits on the autobahn.
This was beacause different areas were always being worked on to keep it in safe condition. Here not so much.
The biggest problem in my area is people pulling out in front of drivers in a fast and busy 5 lane road. Doesn't matter if you are going the speed limit of 45 or breaking it and going 55. If someone disregards your presence and pulls in front of you, that is a nasty wreck. The street I am thinking of has 3 wrecks a day on average
Up until a couple years ago I used to commute about an hour one way to work. Mostly highway. One city to the next. Within the 2 city limits, the speed limit is 65. But on the 34 mile stretch between the two, it jumps to 75. Purely for the sake of science, I decided to try just leaving my cruise set on 65 for the entire trip. And I did that for about two weeks. My findings? It added right around 4 minutes to my commute, my fuel economy jumped by about 5 mpg's, and it was a whole lot less stressful to just hang out in the right lane, chill and listen to my audiobook or some music. And in the event I did come up on some slower traffic like a semi, I could step out and punch it up to 70-75, then move back over and settle back in and not have to worry about potentially catching a speeding ticket. Driving faster really does hit a point of diminishing returns.
Thank you. That is exactly right. I like the way you said it: "point of diminishing returns".
I started doing almost the exact same thing on my commute and I feel so much less stress. I just stay in the right lane with adaptive cruise control to 65 and then listen to a podcast.
true to a point, but it totally depends on how far you're driving... down the store to get a gallon of milk, not really, driving from Houston to Chicago... little different story.
Driving faster fatigues you quicker.
For me it negatively outweighs the slightly longer trip duration...
And I arrive more relaxed 😎
Yep, I learned this a few years ago for longer road trips as well. Going an extra 10-15mph is never going to make up the time lost getting gas, going to the bathroom, food etc no matter how efficiently you do those things. Plus I like just stopping to stretch my legs and look around even if I don't need to do any of that stuff.
Thank you SO much for making this video!
As someone who’s lived 20 years in Europe and almost 20 years in the US, and is also a CDL holder and have driven A LOT.
I can safely say this video is spot on!
Nr 1 reason for lack of road safety in the US is serious lack of drivers ed.
Nr 2 reason is lack of lane discipline and left lane camping (this needs to be a more enforced law!!!)
Nr 3 reason is speed variability - most speed limits here are simply too low, especially on the East Cost. Standard interstate speed limit should be set to 85mph.
On a 65mph road you have the majority driving 75, many going 65, a few going 55, and a ton of people going 90mph - a recipe for disaster combined with lack of lane discipline.
Add to this cars that are improperly maintained and lacking a good annual inspection (compared to Europe), with headlights blinding the shit out of everyone, and you start to see the whole picture as to why US roads are not safe.
I would say the actual infrastructure and road quality is the least of a problem, for interstates.
Now if you wanna talk city traffic and pedestrian safety… that’s even worse in the US, and in cities speeds SHOULD be lower, for all the obvious reasons.
Again - thank you for this video!
Interesting view. I would say that cities have been lowering speed limits innthe US, but pedestrian fatals have remained high. I believe that car designs impacted by lower outward visibility has affected traffic fatalities everywhere , but especially in urban zines with high pedestrian concentrations. The 2007-11 FMVSS rules are negatively affecting crash numbers.
@ 100% true 👍🏼 and as for urban traffic, distracted driving is also a massive issue
The two tier speed limits in some states (e.g. 65 trucks, 75 autos) really messes it up, esp when truckers decide to do a 66 mph "pass".
4:15 The height of American engineering is duck tape? Forget the space shuttle, stealth aircraft, the Mars rovers, nuclear warheads, etc., etc. The most we ever achieved is inventing duck tape.
We do have a lot of concrete roads by the way. But concrete isn’t always a better solution. It’s especially bad in the southwest where it can get cold at night and dangerously hot the same day. Concrete will buckle, crack and flake off due to expansion and contraction. There are ways to mitigate this but it adds significant cost that Germany would never have to worry about.
I agree that US infrastructure is woefully underfunded. But this isn’t as simple an issue as this video makes it seem.
Duct* tape
@@byronridenour4585 It sounds to me like he says duck. Both are in common use. There’s no clear origin to the either name. I prefer duck because the cloth it’s made with is cotton duck and there are other tapes designed for duct work. What people think of as duct tape is not very good for duct work. Before it was either duck or duct they called it 100-mph tape. Probably the most apropos for this video.
You can't really have this discussion without mentioning a road's design speed. If it's built in a way that feels like 70 is ok, no amount of signs saying 55 will slow people down. In many of the residential streets here in the Netherlands, we don't need to post the limit, because anything over 25 feels like you are about to murder a child.
Speed variability has more to do with the difference between posted speed and design speed than with the actual maximum.
I feel like the problem isnt design but peoples inherent lack of self control.
@@BrandonDenny-we1rw well, if we really go back to first principles, the problem is all the death and destruction caused by speeding. We're pretty much in consensus that reducing speed is the way to reduce death and destruction.
To make the reduction in speeding happen, it's MUCH easier to change some road design than to change the inherent lack of self control of the entire population.
@TheXtrafresh I didnt say it was easy
@@BrandonDenny-we1rw Luckily, you're wrong. Look at amsterdam. Streets designed for 10 mph, people go 10 mph, no one runs over pedestrians. Roads designed for 60, people do 60.
Culture plays a big role in diving as well. If you live in a more individualistic society your more likely to see that other car as an infuriating obstacle than another human being.
The problem isn't speed limits the problem is the barrier of entry to acquire a drivers license in the United States is really low. We should have better drivers on the road. Speed limits and other regulations on driving are treating the symptoms instead of addressing the problem
Yes, speed limits work. People obviously exceed them, but it keeps the majority of drivers within reason.
9:56 - and there it is. The rules are written for the dumbest driver on the road, with the worst overall driving skill. The faster _this_ driver goes, the more likely she is to cause a wreck and kill people. Then naïve or deliberately deceptive analysts blame the speed for the crash instead of that driver's lack of ability. Solution: Make the driving test harder.
“She” 😂😂😂
Why "she?" Some of the most reckless/careless drivers are male.
The 259-car pile up was a series of 3 pile-ups over a 20 mile stretch caused by: "Police said heavy rain suddenly gave way to blinding sunshine, catching motorists unaware." So really the lack of a speed limit wasn't the issue but one could potentially argue going too fast for conditions which is independent of speed limits anyway.
Also, 85th percentile my tailpipe. Anyone who's driven on state highways through the rural US and hits a small, 1-stoplight town, doesn't buy the 65 -> 55 -> 45 -> 35 -> 25mph decrease as being what "85%" of drivers actually do. Especially when the 25mph zones are HEAVILLY policed. We all know it's a small town trying to generate a revenue stream; they can issue as many BS speeding tickets as they want because they know 99% of people will just pay them rather than come all the way back to their little town to fight it in court.
Drive on a concrete highway here in Michigan and you’ll have a new respect for asphalt.
Asphalt is also something like 95% recyclable so when they mill a road and haul away all that asphalt it's almost all going to end up back on a road somewhere.
Oh, but concrete is so smooth... if you ignore the expansion joints every 80 feet making it sound like you've blown a tire.
You found a paved road in the Mitten? 😂
Interstates and US highways east of the Mississippi are much smoother south of the Ohio or Cumberland rivers. Most of ours are asphalt over concrete. The Asphalt is the sacrificial layer to be peeled up every 10 years and replaced.
Driving in upper Indiana, all of Illinois, western Penn and upstate NY is pretty bad by comparison to Alabama or even Mississippi.
Pothole repair on concrete is rough and bumpy often, where asphalt can be tar snaked then replaced.
My dad was a highway engineer and he was highly in favor of asphalt poured over slip concrete (not slab concrete)
I have a new respect for concrete after driving 696 between I94 and I75. That road is smooth as a baby's bottom.
its friggin education. no one knows regular courtesy and rules. too many people treat driving as a chore/nothing serious. they just do it, like breathing. they dont care what they do when it comes to other drivers. “let me turn with no space!”
7:54 Lecler’s famous Inchident 😂
You also missed a big one here which is that higher speed limits on roads shared with pedestrians leads to incredible increases in pedestrian fatalities. The US has some of the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities in the world because we allow cars to drive so fast in places where they are likely to interact with pedestrians
Or, you know, if there's a LOUD, BIG, HEAVY metal thing approaching you - take off your stupid ipod and do NOT walk in front of it?
@@skvltdmediaOr maybe car drivers should actually look at the road instead of their phones.
I realized from a very young age the road is meant for cars, not people. So when I'm a pedestrian, I'm cognizant of that fact and adapt to the situation. Other pedestrians should heed this advice.
@@IHWKRthis is a wild comment. I’ve lived in multiple countries in the past decade and only in the us do I fear for my life as a pedestrian. Drivers in the us drive larger cars and are less aware of pedestrians (due to a weird car culture and poor infrastructure). Also, roads are, legally speaking, for bikes, buggies, and pedestrians (at crosswalks).
@@skvltdmedia blaming pedestrians for getting hit is crazy work
Tires are actually the first thing on my shopping list
What'd you say about Yokohama tires? Give it, straight up youtube comment review. Go.
@@FirestormX9 Never used it, I'm a Pirelli guy.
@@FirestormX9 ummm idk sounds good tho
@@FirestormX9 on my 14 fusion 2.0 st ( 295 ish hp ) Goodyear ls2 euro tires at 36 psi.. grip quite well and are great tires
@@DroneStrike1776 Pirelli's are the best, man. But they're not available for the regular market here, sadly. As of 2020.
Only difference between Freeway and city/street?
One has stop signs and lights. California Sacramento you're going usually 20+ the actual speed. 80 or so on freeway and nearly 60 on the street.
My only concern with this is the fact that vehicle inspections are much more rigorous in places with higher speed limits like germany, where failing mandatory scheduled inspections will make your car illegal to drive. there isn't an equivalent system in the US, and I do not have the mutal trust to believe that the average American would maintain their car to the levels to ensure they would be safe at these higher speeds. simple things like brakes, tire age and even just tire pressure become immensely important when you reach 80mph.
negligence is one of the most American traits.
Yes there is, I’ve been ticked for an expired inspection. Only 12 out of 50 states don’t have mandatory inspections.
@@brkbtjunkie Here in NC you just need to find a Bubba who will pencil-whip your inspection and your ill prepared vehicle is 'safe' to drive for another year.
problem with mandatory inspection is it harms poor people. like the poor fuck who makes min wage can afford to pay some rip off mechanic $5,000 to fix tiddly shit the mandatory inspection will flag. And no the poor fuck can't just go out and buy a 2024 whatever.
@@Dratchev241 cool, but that poor fuck shouldn't be driving his shitheap at mach 7 on a public road. each of the poor, ignorant, stingy, and distracted people need to be dealt with if unlimited speed limits were to ever occur. something as simple as a permanent badge of shame on the car that makes it legal to only drive in the far right lane could be a solution, but that would require even more bureaucracy to enforce.
@@brkbtjunkie that's disingenuous bullshit and you know it. only 11 states require annual SAFTEY inspections, with five more requiring them conditionally on the sale and/or registration of vehicle. the remaining states you mention only require EMISSIONS testing which has negligible impact on vehicle safety at speed.
We need to make it harder to get a license and if you get caught driving without one, harsher punishments. If you’re a bad driver then looks like you’re not getting a license. Driving is a privilege not a right. Seems like they think it’s a right nowadays
This will never, ever, happen. Licenses are easy to get for a reason. More people who can drive means more people who spend money, or work, or participate in the economy. If the DMV actually enforced good tests that would easily half the amt of drivers. Won't happen.
Tell me youre a big government radical Leftist Democrat, without telling me youre a big government radical Leftist Democrat.
@@EnlightenedMinarchistif you think democrats and leftists are the same thing, lol. lmao.
@@EnlightenedMinarchist Youre more of a sheep than the peoplre youre trying to mock.
@@Sickolas7 All Democrats are Leftists but not all Leftists are Democrats.
0:15 only 15mph over that are amateur numbers 😂 hypothetically
Allegedly
I was ticketed at 122 in a 60.
We are missing the problem here. People. Fact is fact, and that fact is that speeding is breaking the law, yet people choose that what they want to go takes precedence over the law. Let me expand.
The American way today is buying a coffee each morning, going out to eat or ordering food for lunch all the time, use credit for everything. The Disney dream of follow your dreams and crush anyone in the way rings true here. Americans truly will do what they want and lack any form of discipline.
In Illinois there is highway 57 to Chicago. Limit is 55. I go 70 to feel safe and am still the slowest car on the road. Absolutely insane.
Speed variability can be dangerous, but it is the demand of self satisfaction that is the killer here. Take the human out of the equation and we will see less death. Self driving cars not only need to become the standard, but also law for those who lack discipline. The law, speed variability, and how the highways are built are simply not the root issue. People, Americans, are.
Ah yes, Teslas, the most dangerous vehicles on the road. Most fatalities. People just need to learn how to drive better.
IMO, the worst thing that affects roadway speeds is vehicle safety. Over the years, small cars got bigger with cushions and seatbelts that keep occupants in place in a crash and vehicles have crumple zones that absorb energy during a collision. So what has this done for us? We increase our speed and add more energy to any future collision. I had a friend once who refused to wear a helmet while he was snowboarding. His reasoning was that the helmet gave people a false sense of security and therefore they did more stupid stuff. The idea is that when you make things less risky, people are willing to push the limits and take more risk. When group behavior becomes more risky, accidents and fatalities become more common.
Better, safer vehicle design generally increases vehicle speeds and safety at the same time... to a point. Since 2007-11, cars have been required to meet new roof crush and side impact standards. To design for this automakers have increased beltlines and reduced window openings. This has run up.pedestrian crashes, but also it affects crashes on all types of roads. Its not just driver confidence. Its defective vehicle design in general beginning in 14, it started to reflect in ever increasing crash numbers. If we are ever to stop the wantin slaughtee on the highways, these regulations need to be relaxed. People need to be able to see out of their vehicles agai. .
the helmet thing is true though...even with skateboarding i usually go within my LIMITS..the second im at a nice park with required pads or a payed park...im willing to push how much air or how BIG i go....even in bowls/huge transitions i have ZERO familiarity with and i often EAT heaps of shit....bc i think i have a saftey/net. Its not just that but the level of focus/drugs and fear factor in your brain and how it generates a fight/flight response you can HONE when trying to quickly adapt/skill in extreme sports....is pretty integral or having a willingness to truly LEAN into the fight/flight response and your brains/neuralotical pathology/aspects when engaging in something that strenuous physically and mentally for someone in a skill/development stage.(Imo a helmet is like a filter or distorts the mental/acuity/optics when truly trying to grasp&adapt subtle nuances) ALL the sudden on the slopes you want to "KEEP UP" with your friends with a higher skill ceiling or follow them/take the same jumps with no familiarity with what speed/air range each jump/lip has to offer....only to wind up FOLDED like a pretzel or equally concussed bc your amplifying the intensity like a force multiplier. AT least for the majority of PPL that truly lean in to the aspect that if you want to PROGRESS/FAST its often a transaction of PAIN you have to be willing to pay for the quickest/progress route.
By that hypothesis, motorcycles would never exceed 5 MPH.
@stargazer7644 I don't ride a motorcycle but in my limited interactions with them on the road, the riders appear to give zero Fs about their own safety or the safety of others on the road. Given that, I don't really care what they think regarding speed limits as I know they won't follow any traffic laws anyway.
@@ronnieb8382 That's a pretty broad brush you've got there, pal. And what an incredible effort you've made to completely miss the point of the comment. I do ride a motorcycle, and on behalf of everyone else that rides safely let me just call you out for being the Richard that you are..
You mentioned the insurance companies and thats one of the factors in Germany too. The percentage the insurance companies will pay out for an accident drops as the speed of an accident increases.
Speed limits are decreasing in Western Australia. The drivers here are so bad. They can’t merge, they hesitate to accelerate onto on ramps, and decrease speed before getting off the freeway. They’re freakin’ useless. This video summarises the issues fairly well. However, the driver education standards and infrastructure in Western Australia are all very questionable, too. I’m sick of the moron drivers here. I wish Western Australia would take more from the Germans on lane discipline and driver skills.
They hesitate to merge because people don't make room for them and they have a longer blindspot due to the slope. The person on the highway sees them long before they see you. This is where a augmented camera system could be useful.
Lowering speed limits will not improve anything.
You also drive on the wrong side of the highway. This adds to your on/off ramp chaos.😢
Me going 15 over the speed limit trying to pass a group of cars going 10 under the speed limit while a big truck wanting to go 30 over is riding my ass like Miley Cyrus on that wrecking ball.
They need to have minimum speed limits on freeways.
Many U.S. states have posted minimum speeds - usually 40 mph.
@@H2SO4H20 40 is too slow. It should be 55.
@@DanH-u3f It should be remembered that the original primary purpose of the Interstate highway system was to move military personnel and equipment. Having served in the U.S. Army, I know that some military vehicles are limited to a top speed of 45 mph. I occasionally see military convoys moving slowly on Interstate highways here in the U.S. I have also been in U.S. Army convoys moving similarly slowly on German autobahns during field exercises.
@@DanH-u3f In the rural highways of the US the minimum is 55 or even 60. In Urban areas, a 55 minimum is not practical with all the merging traffic and truck traffic. In fact, I would say in Urban areas there should be no need for a minimum speed limit.
@DanH-u3f I've seen minimum 55 in Michigan. The speed limit (maximum) is 65 for trucks and 70 or 75 for passenger vehicles. I believe that Oklahoma has turnpikes where the minimum is 60. In practice, I rarely see people going less than 65 in free-flowing traffic. I see more people going 90+ than going under 60
It always pisses me off when someone drives exactly the speed limit in the passing lane.
Is it actually defined as the passing lane legally where you’re from, or are you just entitled?
Even better when it's a massive truck that HAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO THE RIGHT, REFUSES to move over and goes 5 under the speed limit.
@@joshhaynes3383 Very entitled
Cool, you're admitting to being annoyed at people who use the passing lane properly? If a car is slow and needs to be passed, then the legal and proper way actually IS to pass at the speed limit in the passing lane. Why do you think a car going under the speed limit gives you a right to go over the speed limit?
@@joshhaynes3383 This is defined in traffic law in every state except South Dakota.
Providing the road is good, speed is not the killer, lack of attention and high speed driving skills is.
Here in Texas, no one follows the speed limit and cops don’t pull anyone over unless they’re reckless.
Would love to see how often county and state governing bodies actually abide by the 85th percentile rule and how frequently they're studying road speeds. I can think of at least a dozen roads within immediate proximity of my own house that would be better served with a 55mph speed limit that have 35-45 mph limits.
A 1992 FHWA study showed that 7/10 speed limits in the USA were underposted at the time. That number is likely higher now.
6:00 I don’t agree with how “simple” this is at face value.
-No driver is informed of this happening, giving them the freedom to drive as fast as they feel safe.
-It looks like a setup or trap
-If you’re speeding you’ll still probably get a ticket, so drivers are still limited.
-most of the time these aren’t on highway open backroad where most people actually want the limit increased.
-The flashing speed is tricking you to slowing down artificially producing numbers.
-cars/trucks/vans ability, build quality, what purpose they were built for etc. vary.
It’s set up to coerce you into driving at or below the speed limit not allow drivers to dictate what the speed limit should possibly be.
Nobody’s going to think they have the freedom to set the speed limit when there’s a cop pointing a radar gun at you, random lines in the middle of the road & a speed trap telling you you’re going to fast.
Deceiving us into thinking we have control when we don’t.
I’m sorry, did you just use “cars that are on the road” as an excuse as to why drivers don’t go faster?
No shit, cars of varying quality are on the road
@ In a sense of their ability & build quality yes.
It artificially decreases the perceived “safe speed limit”.
Just because those cars “CAN’T” doesn’t mean it’s not safe for the cars that “CAN”.
No shii types of vehicles/transportation varies. That’s why there’s speed limits for trucks.
So why not apply that to the same variable of car or vehicle type.
A 1990 beat up civic should not fall under the same category of a 2024 sport/supercar.
Just a suggestion.
We have speed limits for trucks, trains, buses etc. & we have bike lanes, bus lanes, carpool etc.
So we could also implement something for the individuals who do have faster, safer & more capable cars trucks or suvs.
Ie: special speed limits, lanes, highways, roads etc.
people already perceive the far left lane to be the “FAST LANE” so why not legalize it with its own speed limits & enforce it the same as a carpool lane.
As a 10 over everywhere speeder, I give partial blame to the layout of the roads in the US as well. Having a 4-lane highway with a turning lane and direct connections to businesses is so inefficient. It increases the speed variability because people merge into full speed traffic at 40-50 mph without leaving enough room for other cars.
I’m an 10-15 over the speed limit on the highway as well. People still pass you like you’re standing still. Any thing over 15 in Michigan is reckless driving, sorry not ricking that ticket. 15 over 85 to 90 mph; and that’s still not good enough for some people
@@awilhammer so why are you still 10-15 over? Just do the limit and no longer worry about that ticket eh? Stop creating the variability.
You're not wrong, but at the same time... 10 over? So looking to get ticketed eventually eh? And creating the very variability that makes things worse... thanks for that 👍 :sarcasm:
As a new truck driver, I can answer that easily. Absolutely not, these truckers will see a 55 limits & go 75. With no care in the world for other peoples lives.
Logically, should all speed limits outside of residential areas and school zones be increased to align with the safety and ability of today’s cars? Absolutely.
Do Americans deserve it? Hell no. It will never work and it will lead to more accidents until every person gets it through the head that THE LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING! I drive 80 highway miles to work every day on a 4 lane highway. I SHOULD be able to do it at 100+ the entire way but the amount of cloudless drivers crawling in the left lane makes it impossible and incredibly dangerous.
I’m not one for government intervention but I really do wish they were stricter with granting or revoking driving PRIVILEGES (not rights), education, and enforcement (actual enenforcenemt, for safety, not revenue). I’d rather share the road with speeders than oblivious and distracted drivers. Hell, if I was a cop, just on my commute alone, I could write at least 10 improper lane usage tickets every day, and that would do far more good than writing tickets for 10 over.
Another genuine danger are speed traps… you’ll have everybody moving at a reasonable speed then slam on their brakes when they see a cop running radar, bottlenecking traffic and creating a real problem.
💯
Your living situation does not entitle you to risking other families on the road. 100 mph is a ridiculous risk, easily enough force to split people in two within their car
Average speed cameras work better.
@@ark14700 stupid, I said I (or everybody) SHOULD be able to because of how the roads are designed and the standards to which modern vehicles are built, do I? Of course not. Interesting how the Germans do not have that problem… The American highway system was literally designed so that convoys could average 100mph and get supplies or troops or whatever to every major city as quickly and safely as possible.
Perfectly said on all points (I used to be more "libertarian" and entertain the "driving is a right" thing.... but as romantic as it sounds, it really has no moral or practical basis).
I can't BELIEVE I never see a SINGLE COP here in the Seattle area EVER pulling anyone over for lane-clogging.
It's an absolute epidemic - I can go from Seattle to Preston on I-90, around 10 miles, and pass up 2, 3, or ever 4 DOZEN lane-clogging cars, piloted usually by specific "head in the clouds" demographics (It's always Soft looking White, Indian, or Asian men, old asian women who can barely see above the dashboard, or white women ON THEIR PHONES - ALWAYS!!).
We discover a new trend on German highways in the last 3 years: left lane EV sleeper cars. Even when there is a 130 km/h speed limit, the EVś don’t go the 130, but block the left lanes going only about 100-105km/h.
I got a ev hybrid for test myself and found out: you have to calculate a 15 min charge for every hour driven.
Passing the 100/105 km/h „barrier“, the discharge goes up from 18 kWh up to 28 kWh at 130 km/h.
Once I went 57 km on battery only, but that was from home to a city, with 30, 50 and a short 70 km/h speed limit section.
Next day, we tried a highway sequence, a short trip to the highway and in total, after 14 km the hybrid battery was empty with 5 km 30/50/70 and 9 km 140 km/h speed.
On the third day, I returned the car (FORD) and that was my last EV mission in my life. The sales agent confirmed my experience.
Since then I know, why EVˋs only go 100-105 on German highways. Unfortunately the semi trucks all go 91-93, so the EV cars don’t like to stick inbetween the semìs and stick to the left lane and block the traffic.
BTW: of the 13.500km Autobahn in Germany, only 3.200 are left unrestricted, with another 4000 with electronic variable speed limit. 90% of the highways are 2 lane only! And as all money was poured into east Germany between 1990 and 2015, the infrastructure in the west, with the majority of highways and population, nowadays, the average speed on highways throughout Germany is below 100 km/h. Regardless of speed limits, as 90% of all bridges are done and have speed limits down to 40 km/h, weight limitations and I’m average you encounter a construction every 10 minutes on a highway.
It’s like almost on purpose by the leftist green red government.
And since 2013, every little town is allowed to set up speed traps, as before it was only permitted by the police, so we have thousands of cash 💷 making machines nowadays in Germany… it’s definitely a secondary tax.
Ah yes, EV ˋs which are usually 1,5 times the weight of a combustion model, don’t pay tax for the usage of roads…
But to afford one of these monsters, you’d better have a good payed gov job.
I’ve driven cars all around the world from Asia to America, from Europe to Africa, and the German /EU system once was the best, but nowadays that is only history!
And regarding fatalities in correlation to speeding: only approximately 1.270 of the roadside fatalities happen on highways and of these not even 100 happen during to speeding. With >30% of the accidents, bicyclists in the cities range second after pedestrians in roadside accidents. But they can’t make money off these people so msm blames the vehicles.
Another nasty trend: represents the road and after that, reduce the speed limit and set up fixed speed cameras… happens everywhere, regardless of a critical accident area or not.
Yep, I remember getting my hybrid and driving home on an empty road getting over 50mpg, then I realized during my morning commute the next day that it's impossible to drive optimally for fuel consumption in any amount of traffic.
It simply is not safe to drive efficiently with others on the highway. A large part of that efficiency entails going faster when you can and going slower and steady when the EV kicks on.
That makes me sad to hear. I spent my early 20's in Deutschland, driving was the greatest ever back then.
@ I remember the time we could go 200 km/h for minutes without even touching the break. Nowadays, if you go over 130 on a unlimited free stretch of highway and you get involved into a accident, you actually have to prove that the accidents not avoidable if you had only gone 130 or below! It’s so sad to see a great nation killing itself due to ideology only.
@11:35 This is the point. We need to stop giving the idiots licenses. Take most of europe as an example, and require drivers to actually be competent and not just have a pulse.
Then design your country so that people can live their lives without driving lol
Yeah but that would be "racist" to not give idiots licenses.
Man I’m loving the way this channel is growing again. Awesome content within the past few months. Keep it up guys.
I believe on the highways there should be a much higher speed limit. Surface streets should stay the same. Also driver’s education in this country really needs to be updated and improved.
XD as if we dont know why/how your beliefs came to be LMFAO yeah "rider" says drivers need to be better educated LMFAO sometimes i have to stop/laugh at stereotypes. OH and im sure you follow all the rules and laws and speed limits SURELY everyone knows and believes that DUH
@ if speed limits on the highway were increased it would not really change the average speed on those highways since everyone speeds anyway. 85mph would be a good speed limit for modern cars. And yes driver’s education in this country is pathetic. We don’t learn anything about actually controlling a vehicle. And just because I ride a motorcycle doesn’t automatically make me a criminal. I follow the road laws and I ride the flow of traffic on the highway. I do take the bike to track days which is why I have the sport bike.
@@tonyburns5388 I learned more about skids in a flying club safety meeting (discussing crosswind landings on icy runways) than I ever did in driver's ed.
My rule of thumb is, if i'm in the left lane, i'm passing.
I think more people need thumbs like yours!
Correct
exactly
the left lane isn’t the fast lane, it’s the passing lane
My rule of thumb is, ride in the left lane unless someone is coming up behind me.
@stargazer7644 same, especially if there's a Ford GT Mk2 behind me.
I can see having a 'reasonable speed limit' in neighborhoods..but on the highway, if you're being safe (not tailgating, unsafely passing on the right [if somebody is hogging the left lane for nothing then go for it], etc.) then you should be allowed to go as fast as YOU are able to.
In my experience driving in each state, people going 15+ over the speed limit are in states that have not increased the speed limits from 55 miles per hour. People in states where the limit is 65 mph tend to go 5-10 over, and people in states with 75 mph tend to go 5 over.
4:11 Funny, not funny.... I wish American's were known for quality. But more and more we are cheap.
12:25 Funny thing about those people who have "total confidence in their abilities". Most of them shouldn't.
But there are the few of us that should though lol and I wish there was a second license system for us. I have minor training and I've done dry and wet track days, I've got great car control and can react to things that happen quickly and safely. I shouldn't have to follow the same rules that the idiots are following, thus I should have a different license and rules based on tests and training that I've done.
@@racecarrikwe just need people to not drive in the damn left lane
@@racecarrik i would agree ive got 10000 hours on my motorcycle above the speed limit and i have my basic 1 2 and advanced riders course under my belt, i should be able to exceed the speed limit if i want
Trucks are a huge issue with higher speed limits. Maybe some of them can do 80+ mph but a lot of them can't and really shouldn't. They go for an overtake on another truck going 0.3 mph slower and hold up traffic for 10 minutes. Trucks are also a huge reason the US interstate is in much worse shape compared to the autobahn. They do an enormous amount of damage to the road because the road damage to weight ratio is exponential. When the weight of a vehicle is doubled, the wear to the road is roughly quadrupled.
Trucks use autobahns too. In Europe, the majority of countries allow heavier trucks than the US. From what I could find, the US limit is 80'000lbs, which is just over 36.2 tonnes. In Europe the standard limit for articulated trucks is 40/44 tonnes almost everywhere, with some countries allowing up to 50 tonnes, and a larger bracket of truck, (a road train that is a 3 axle box truck with a 2 axle dolly with a 3 axle articulated truck trailer) that can weigh in at up to 60/74 tonnes.
The issue with the overtaking is a federal speed limiter, not the trucks themselves. Differences in tyres, calibration of the limiters, etc result in those tiny speed differences when they need to overtake each other, and as they're spending thousands of miles on the road, even 0.3 mph adds up for them with limited driving time.
@markwright3161 we have far more trucks on the road than Europe does, you can't go 2 seconds without seeing a semi on the highway here. I've been to Europe, there's hardly any. Well maybe not hardly any but it certainly seems a lot less. Also keep in mind the amount of people that have nearly 4000 kg pickups and suvs here. It's a lot.
@@markwright3161 most of the trucks in Europe are 31T, not 40/45 or 50 like you say and when there is exceptionnal convoys (like moving Airbus parts or boat parts), they do it in the night with police helping, what the States needs is speed limiters like in Europe cause seeing trucks going 70, I don't care how fast I'm going I'm going to zoom past that motherlover cause his brakes might not work.
@@Random63R400 Where do you get the 31 tonne value? 40/44 tonnes is the weight limit for a standard articulated truck (tractor unit and trailer, equivalent to semi truck and trailer in the US) for easily 80+% of Europe, 50 tonnes seems to be the limit for that same standard artic in Norway from the document I found that was a table listing all the max weights for each country in Europe. It showed 1 country with the lowest limit of 36 tonnes. The 60/74 tonnes is the only thing above the standard artic licence (category C+E), but they're considered normal road vehicles in the countries that have them, no special escorts or anything needed. All countries in Europe and the US have special escorts that weigh in way heavier than the limits, so they don't really count in this comparison.
If you're suggesting that trucks aren't going to be fully laiden all the time, yes, but I feel that's as true for the US as Europe. Some states do allow 53 foot trailers vs the 45 foot trailers in Europe, but that doesn't apply to every state. I don't think the 53 foot trailer is as common as I used to think. Is it maybe less than half the states in the US that actually allow them? In the UK we have some double decker trailers, so even though they're shorter than the maximum US length, we will be able to carry more of the unstackable pallets which will get those trucks closer to the max limit of 44 tonnes here, although our roads maybe aren't the best comparison as I think they're pretty poor compared to the rest of Europe.
@markwright3161 I was a bit wrong but your values are still way over, the maximum authorized is 40T and can be extended to 44T if you do rail travel.
The cops are unlikely to pull you over if you’re moving at the ‘speed of traffic’. Unless you’re in a business vehicle. Semi truck, taxi, contractor van etc.
Then you’re screwed.
On highways the speed should be based off the right most lane, with each lane to the left getting a +10. If the sign says 65 the next left has 75 then 85. If the rightmost is going 40 because of traffic the next left is 50 then 60. This creates lane discipline because if you can’t keep the adjusted speed you’re 100% in the wrong, pull drivers over and give warnings when they are in the wrong lane. This reduces lane changes, and creates a controlled and predictable speed variability, and adaptively adjust the speed of the entire highway during congestion. On a lot of highways this is already the common driver behavior, except bad lane discipline messes it up, make the law reflect the safe way people want to drive.
A problem with doing that, especially in and around cities like Atlanta with HOV lanes, it would be hard to maintain that adjusted speed with people entering/exiting the HOV. Especially the case with transit busses. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but GA also has more than a few locations with exits off the left where highways/interstates split, so you'd have to work out a reasonable way to handle those conditions.
"Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly because stationary that's what gets you" - Jeremy Clarkson in all his genius 😅
As an American, speed limits are often ignored to an extent. It's normal for people to go 40 in a 30 when it's a straight road. On the highways in my area, the speed limit is 55mph. In the mornings and evening rush hours, everyone does 70mph. There's often cops along the highway and they do not care as long as everyone is doing the same speed. If everyone's doing 70 and your doing 60, you can cause more harm then good because, let's say, the person behind you issnt paying attention and rear-ends you. And now theres a traffic jam.
I don’t actually care to go past 70.
Here’s the reason, people in the city don’t go past that speed. Thus I’ll follow the flow of traffic. ❤
Speed limits can be too low to the point where people's minds are more likely to wander or risk distractions rather than concentrate.
so true, higher speed demands more concentration
In 2019 in Eastern Nevada, I cruised at 140mph in my MK7 VW Golf for about 20 minutes and it was very enjoyable.
GTI or R?
@Random63R400 2016 Golf MK7 1.8t 3 door manual running a Unitronic stage one+ tune.
@@opencarry3860 nice nice fellow Golf owner 🤟🏿
As someone born with a lead foot (runs in the family) there are lots of issues with the speed limit signs. I spend a lot of time on the road, and regardless of how early I leave it isn't my desire to "cruise" or "sunday drive" around. My goal once getting in that vehicle is to reach my destination and do so with an appropriate mix of safety and speed. Those arguing again speed can look up past historical newspapers where people were making outrageous claims about how insanely reckless it was to increase the limit by 5 mph to a whopping 30 mph. There are always people who are afraid of the smallest increase and preach doom and gloom.
My perspective the biggest issue is people not obeying the rules/common courtesies. In Ohio it states on the interstate "keep right except to pass". Then you get some A hole in the left lane on a 2 lane stretch who wants to match a semi and go 60 in a 65. These people need their licenses revoked. Completely obvious to the world around them as 20+ cars are held up for their royal ass to remain in the PASSING lane so long as they desire.
You have a lot of people who have no idea their vehicle's framework. They stop their vehicle a whole car length past the white stop line, go right or left to center a lot (whether due to distraction or not), they just don't have any idea where their car is supposed to be on the road or a parking space. They are the epitome of "they got their license from a crackerjack box". There have been plenty of studies that have proven if you keep up with the flow of traffic, even if the traffic is speeding, it is safer than going slower. I wish, especially on our interstates, if the "speed limit" signs were change to "speed minimum". Highways are designed for us to get somewhere quickly. Cops can still pull people over for being reckless-frequent lane changes in and out, no turn signals, not passing in the left lane, etc. That is the way it should be.
I found out if you stay living west of the Mississippi the population is much less, less cars, more speed. I'll never live east of the Mississippi river. The Mid west and the south west are where it's at if you want to go fast. Just stay away from big cities as well.
As a truck driver who already is subject to this.... I want to see after a serious accident all cell phone records checked for use at the time. I want to see drug and alcohol screening and pull the vehicle ECM for speed at the time. If negligence is present then charges should be filed. All this crap about guns being a major killer yet the elephant in the room is ignored.