MrZ06
I love Texas Road House
Ok if speeding causes accidents and police officers know this. Why do police officers speed when they are not in pursuit of another vehicle? I rarely see police cars driving the speed limit.
Warning speed traps in the morning
- Thread starter Htdfb
- Start date
Ok if speeding causes accidents and police officers know this. Why do police officers speed when they are not in pursuit of another vehicle? I rarely see police cars driving the speed limit.
glhs837
Power with Control
Sorry, Roy, but you have to distinguish between main causes and contributing factors. Speed causes very few crashes, but is a factor of some kind in many. It does affect the amount of damage done in the crash, and does affect ones ability to avoid a crash, but eliminating speeding altogether would only reduce crashes by a small amount.
Failure to yield, following too close, failure to stay on the freaking roadway, those are the killers. Going the speed limit or over it, those things are not what causes most crashes. According to the NHTSA, only %5 of crashes have "travelling too fast for conditions" as the reason for the crash. A VDOT study says only %3, which agrees with a UK DOT study.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811059.PDF
Why do you see a huge disparity between these studies and the normal Speed Kills reporting? Becuase these studies, unlike normal traffic research studies, actually went on site to crash scenes and analyzed the scene themselves. Most traffic research is simply done by trolling a database. And in the database, you get what the police report. And police are trained to always put speed down. Even if it really didn't cause the crash.
The main thing to point out about causes and factors. Take away a factor, and the crash still happens. Take away a cause, and it doesnt.
awpitt
Main Streeter
Good point.
bcp
In My Opinion
Not a good point at all.
The police are out to patrol, they need to be seen in order to keep speed in check.
If everyone did the limit, and the police did the limit, then the police would only be seen and be seeing those directly around him.
If he moves at a faster rate he is able to see more drivers and possibly stop more violators.
awpitt
Main Streeter
I will agree that speeding 20 or so mph over the limit can cause accidents because of reduced reaction time if something happens. Going 50 mph in a 45 mph zone does not cause accidents.
inkah12102
New Member
St. Mary's finest
No.
According to Maryland Transportation Code 21-106, emergency vehicles can: "b.3 Exceed any maximum speed limit, but only so long as the driver does not endanger life or property
under the following circumstances: a.1-3
(1) Responding to an emergency call;
(2) Pursuing a violator or suspected violator of the law; or
(3) Responding to, but not while returning from, a fire alarm.
There is no lawful provision for police to speed "to be seen".
No.
According to Maryland Transportation Code 21-106, emergency vehicles can: "b.3 Exceed any maximum speed limit, but only so long as the driver does not endanger life or property
under the following circumstances: a.1-3
(1) Responding to an emergency call;
(2) Pursuing a violator or suspected violator of the law; or
(3) Responding to, but not while returning from, a fire alarm.
There is no lawful provision for police to speed "to be seen".
Now they are going to brand you a cop hater.
bcp
In My Opinion
See the problem with this is that you just never know why they are speeding. We can assume they are just doing so because they think they are above the law, but in reality we dont know.
But, they can roll up on me as fast as they want, if there are no lights on, and they are speeding, they have the same blessing from me that everyone does. Pass me when safe.
bcp
In My Opinion
Here is the funny part in all of this.
I don't speed, so I don't care.
I laugh when I see someone fly by me, only to be pulled over a mile down the road.
I love to see the police running radar on the roads around where I live. I never flash to warn people. I let them speed right on into the radar.
Hank
my war
MrZ06
I love Texas Road House
I think the proper term for this conversation would be holster sniffers
itsrequired
New Member
I have been a law enforcement officer for about 20 years now. I have written hundreds of tickets and reviewed probably thousands of tickets in my time. I have NEVER seen a ticket written by a police officer for someone going five miles over the speed limit.
awpitt
Main Streeter
Who said officers write tickets for going five miles over the speed limit? I didn't.
BTW, thank you for your service to the community.
smilin
BOXER NATION
I think the term 'Speeding' has a different definition. To me speeding is when you are going over the speed limit (by whatever speed).
However, I personally think most accidents are caused by going too fast. Drivers have no idea what a safe speed is. I see it all the time on 235. Raining or not, mini vans are mushed in the back of the car in front of them because they couldn't stop. Accelerating through an intersection only to tee bone somebody. Snow, ice etc. How about over driving your headlights? etc. Texting, drinking - any speed is too fast.
If drivers would slow down and use common sense, it would make driving much safer.
You want to: 'speed'? Do it on a highway - I'll see you there.
However, I personally think most accidents are caused by going too fast. Drivers have no idea what a safe speed is. I see it all the time on 235. Raining or not, mini vans are mushed in the back of the car in front of them because they couldn't stop. Accelerating through an intersection only to tee bone somebody. Snow, ice etc. How about over driving your headlights? etc. Texting, drinking - any speed is too fast.
If drivers would slow down and use common sense, it would make driving much safer.
You want to: 'speed'? Do it on a highway - I'll see you there.
awpitt
Main Streeter
Going too fast may be a contributing factor; however, going too fast actually causes very few accidents.
This occurs because the driver of the mini van was following too closely. Regardless of what speed you're going, if you follow too closely, you're likely going to rear end the car in front of you.
glhs837
Power with Control
Yes, speeding is going 46mph on Rt 235, this is true. You can think that this causes a lot of accidents all you want, you are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts. And the studies say that speeding isn't the issue in the great majority of crashes, that not driving properly, that's the problem.
If I stay in my lane, yield when I am supposed to, maintain a safe following distance, pay proper attention, and follow traffic signals, then no matter my speed, within reason, I simply will not crash. To a point of course, if I travel at 130mph down 235, thats going to result in a crash. But very few folks do that. This is the difference between a factor and a cause. Remove a cause, say failure to yield, and the crash doesn't happen. Remove a factor, and the crash still happens, but the outcome is changed. Say from a 55mph t-bone to a 45mph t-bone.
Me, I'll take no t-bone for $500, every damn time.
If I stay in my lane, yield when I am supposed to, maintain a safe following distance, pay proper attention, and follow traffic signals, then no matter my speed, within reason, I simply will not crash. To a point of course, if I travel at 130mph down 235, thats going to result in a crash. But very few folks do that. This is the difference between a factor and a cause. Remove a cause, say failure to yield, and the crash doesn't happen. Remove a factor, and the crash still happens, but the outcome is changed. Say from a 55mph t-bone to a 45mph t-bone.
Me, I'll take no t-bone for $500, every damn time.