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I was thinking the same of you.
I make no apologies for calling out beliefs that enable life-threatening behavior. Not so much yours as, despite what you are persuading me of, others' who would significantly increase the risk of dangerous travel.
My stance from the very beginning has been that individuals, when given the opportunity, will more accurately determine the proper and safe speed/manner in which to drive and there is ample evidence to support this proposition. As I mentioned very early in this thread, the frequency of accidents in Montana decreased significantly with higher speeds. Similarly, when traffic signs are removed accidents decrease and traffic flow increases.
Shared Space
No Traffic Signs/Lights
Signs Make Driving Dangerous
Shared space is an interesting concept, I'll give you that. But it would need some testing here in the States for me to take its merits more seriously. And where is your source that Montana's subjective speed limit--which is what it was--significantly decreased the rate of accidents?
How does indifference enable road rage?
Most of the road rage I perceive comes from people who believe themselves to be in a great hurry and cannot get around slower moving traffic which stays in the left lane. Right or wrong, this is a primary cause of road rage. We all know these people: they sit two inches off your bumper, make gestures, swerve around cars, and generally act recklessly.
There is an enormous difference between driving swiftly and driving recklessly. I would much prefer that cars in front of me pull over to the right lane so I may pass (I myself stay in the right lane – which, oddly enough, tends to be less congested – unless I am passing) and continue on my merry way. However, being stuck in the Middle East for a couple of years has given me a renewed sense of patience. So I either wait for a safe opportunity or give a friendly reminder that there are other people on the road by flashing my headlights.
I'm getting the sense that your claim to the right to speed is largely on low-density, rural highways, particularly interstates. Am I right? Because if so, then you and I are not as far apart here as I initially thought. For example, a few of Utah's rural interstates have speed limits of 80 mph. And Texas has a rural tollway that has a top speed of 85 mph. On any rural freeway that can support that with no statistically significant increase in fatality rates from the lower speed limit, I'm open to the change. I'm actually a lot more concerned about what goes on in towns and cities. If you could make this differentiation, it would help a lot. Just--don't claim that being able to drive as fast as you want is a right. Because it's not. Not in the US Constitution, not in any state constitution. It doesn't exist.
I have no issue with people driving any particular speed they choose. What I do have issue with is other people telling me what speed to drive. Stay the hell out of my car and I will stay out of yours. Furthermore, I have no desire to allow an ignorant mob to tell me how to live my life, let alone how quickly I may drive.
But hey, I've been driving for over two decades and have a grand total of two fender-benders (both of which occurred while my vehicle was not moving). So what would I know about road safety?
We probably have good reflexes as well. The thing is, not everyone who decides to drive really fast can handle it. Some can, others cannot. The human brain excels at deceiving its owner that he or she is capable of doing the impossible. That's why we need at least some kind of traffic laws, so that there will not be utter anarchy out there on the road. For example, you do agree that pedestrians should generally have right-of-way over cars, and that drivers should not drive the wrong way, right? I'm not asking if there are specific pedestrian ROW laws or directional flows that need to be changed. I'm asking if you believe that such laws should exist at all.