Speed limits are ridiculous

[nof60]

I have had my license for about 20 years. I can tell you that todays vehicles are superior in every way (braking, handleing, safety etc.) to the ones I drove when I first got my license. Yet speed limits are exactly the same. Whats up with that?

[Nomad]

There are many 20 year old cars still on the road.

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by nof60

I have had my license for about 20 years. I can tell you that todays vehicles are superior in every way (braking, handleing, safety etc.) to the ones I drove when I first got my license. Yet speed limits are exactly the same. Whats up with that?

Because only the vehicles have changed but some drivers are still as stupid as they were 20 years ago

[gmcmax05]

Originally Posted by horsetrader

Because only the vehicles have changed but some drivers are still as stupid as they were 20 years ago

I think I disagree, there are way more stupid idiots on the road today, compared to 20 years ago. Road rage wasn't even a phrase 20 years ago.
I think if they raised the speed limit even 10 km/h, you would see people driving 130 - 140km/h, compared to the 120 most people drive today. There's enough carnage on our highway already.

[landowner]

Speed Kills...........

[Lonnie]

Originally Posted by gmcmax05

I think I disagree, there are way more stupid idiots on the road today, compared to 20 years ago. Road rage wasn't even a phrase 20 years ago.
I think if they raised the speed limit even 10 km/h, you would see people driving 130 - 140km/h, compared to the 120 most people drive today. There's enough carnage on our highway already.

there are a lot of inexperienced drivers out there, they drove for 20 years and never drove on gravel highways or icy roads and in a lot of cases never drive out of the cities at highway speeds and we get a lot of immigrants that have never seen snow or ice that try to go the speed limit or faster.

x2 there's enough carnage on our highways already

[Private Ear]

Originally Posted by landowner

Speed Kills...........

Nope! It's the sudden stop.

[JB_AOL]

Well, aside from the usual "speed kills" bs, and what not. Plain and simple, our road systems can not handle it (along with 95% of drivers in alberta). They we designed for a certain maximum speed, and unless you want them to redesign every road in alberta.

there are way more stupid idiots on the road today

Not judging by all the stories I've heard from the old timers. I'd say it's about the same.

Road rage wasn't even a phrase 20 years ago.

Yes it was, but thanks to our instant media society you hear about it now (and I mean right now).

Speeding isn't the problem in Alberta, Attitude is 100% the problem.

[Mike_W]

There are certain roads that I will drive and think why is this speed limit so slow, one being a secondary hiway by my place that is 70 km.

However increasing the limits only pushes people closer to there own limits and makes things much less safe.

[rugatika]

You make a good point, and one I was thinking about yesterday. However, like so many laws in this country, they are made for the lowest common denominator in society.

I know I could easily be driving 20km/hr faster in most zones or more on 4lane highway, (save for in residential areas, where lots of times I think the speed limit should be lower where kids might be), but then there are those that really have no business with a drivers licence. I have had so many cabbies lately that could barely drive, I am left scratching my head how they passed a drivers test, let alone have a commercial licence. One of them actually ran a 4 way stop, and probably would never have known if I hadn't pointed it out to him. The guy that drove me home from the rental company the other day could hardly keep the car off the curb. It was really amazing. And yes,,,they were all new Canadians. Not sure what it is...but their driving skills for the most part just aren't there.

I think there should be some sort of an investigation into how so many people that are such poor drivers get their licences, because I can almost guarantee they didn't earn them.

[Bobby B.]

Speed limits are only for those I'm passing.

Bobby B.

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by horsetrader

Because only the vehicles have changed but some drivers are still as stupid as they were 20 years ago

Yeah and now they have CELL PHONES!!

[walleyechaser]

on many roads i feel the speed should be increased, as i hardly see another vehicle on the road.

having said that, look at deerfoot its a mess, never seen worse driving than on deerfoot. If the speed was increased there then it would be complete chaos with many more fatalities in the winter than at present.

Originally Posted by rugatika

I have had so many cabbies lately that could barely drive, I am left scratching my head how they passed a drivers test, let alone have a commercial licence.

They did an investigation a few years ago and found multiple cabbies using the same license. One guy gets the license legally and another 5 use it when he isnt. Wish they would do something about it!

[rugatika]

Originally Posted by hunter49

They did an investigation a few years ago and found multiple cabbies using the same license. One guy gets the license legally and another 5 use it when he isnt. Wish they would do something about it!

I'm sure they'll get on that right away...as soon as someone gets killed.

[eastcoast]

there are alot more cars on the road today than there were 20 years ago.

[backpacker]

Most drivers over estimate thier driving abilities and this is how we end up attending far too many funerals. Take your time folks or maybe your family will be less a father,mother,sister,brother,mom or dad!

[FishBrain]

I dont think it would matter if they raised them up, most people here cannot even merge onto the highway at highway speed. Every day I am stuck behind someone trying to merge onto Deerfoot doing between 60 and 80km/h, who are angry that the highway is not slowing down to let them in. the same people that feel the need to move into the center lane still doing 80!!!!!

[Beerfish]

Vehicles and equipment are better and safer. Drivers are probably worse.

[Hun-Ter]

Originally Posted by landowner

Speed Kills...........

Speed never kills, it's always the sudden stop.....

[SonnyJ]

I have heard about these so called speed limits but I think they are a myth on #63 to fort mac..lol

[Gunslinger257]

Originally Posted by rugatika

You make a good point, and one I was thinking about yesterday. However, like so many laws in this country, they are made for the lowest common denominator in society.

I know I could easily be driving 20km/hr faster in most zones or more on 4lane highway, (save for in residential areas, where lots of times I think the speed limit should be lower where kids might be), but then there are those that really have no business with a drivers licence. I have had so many cabbies lately that could barely drive, I am left scratching my head how they passed a drivers test, let alone have a commercial licence. One of them actually ran a 4 way stop, and probably would never have known if I hadn't pointed it out to him. The guy that drove me home from the rental company the other day could hardly keep the car off the curb. It was really amazing. And yes,,,they were all new Canadians. Not sure what it is...but their driving skills for the most part just aren't there.

I think there should be some sort of an investigation into how so many people that are such poor drivers get their licences, because I can almost guarantee they didn't earn them.

As a railroader I end up spending a lot of time in taxi's traveling to and from trains. And the the drivers we get at times are down right scary! You get some guys in the city and you think well I should get there alive then we get out on the manning on the way to scotford and OMG I think I've seen it all then they come up with something new everything from 40km all the way there to 140km and falling asleep. One guy was even drunk!

We end up getting out on the side of the road with the cab # and the company sends us another guy (may or may not be better). These guys will supposedly never work for CN again but some of them have shown up again.

Back on topic, although its not like I never speed but do get very very scared when these guys do!

If you double the weight of a vehicle you double its stopping distance.
If you double the speed of a vehicle you quadruple its stopping distance.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by nof60

I have had my license for about 20 years. I can tell you that todays vehicles are superior in every way (braking, handleing, safety etc.) to the ones I drove when I first got my license. Yet speed limits are exactly the same. Whats up with that?

Because while vehicles have improved, the people who aim them haven't.

[Fisherpeak]

Speed limit here is 100K.On my 15 minute drive to Cranbrook there are 17 crosses by the side of the Hiway.Mountain roads,evil winter weather,idiots....
Steam Boat Hill,just out of Cranbrook has a veritable graveyard on the side of the road,28 crosses at last count.I`m fine with the speed limit,I cheat a bit on good roads but for the most part I follow the rules.In flat land I can see where driving that slow would be a major pain on a long trip,but around here when the sign says slow to 60K.....you better.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by backpacker

Most drivers over estimate thier driving abilities and this is how we end up attending far too many funerals. Take your time folks or maybe your family will be less a father,mother,sister,brother,mom or dad!

Exactly.

They over estimate their ability and the abilities of their vehicle, the roads, and other traffic. Plus their attitude stinks to high heaven. When I told one fellow that his behaviour was endangering other people lives and was illegal his retort was, " So, I don't get caught and so what if others might die, if they don't like my driving they can get the **** off the road."

I make my living on those highways. One thing I've learned, you can't defeat reality with any argument.
Sure there are times, on remote stretches of highway, where one could most likely drive 20k faster, safely. Problem is, most drivers aren't intelligent enough to slow down when things are less then ideal.
Just a few weeks ago, on this site, we had people arguing that they should be allowed to travel in excess of 120k on icy road in a snow storm.

I see a lot of that kind of driving, and I have to help clean up the mess those people leave behind. The twisted metal, the broken glass, the blood, and the road closures while accident investigators do their work. Thankfully I don't have anything to do with the torn apart bodies. I couldn't do that.

JB you are wrong. Drivers are far far worse today then they were when I started driving nearly forty years ago and they are considerably worse then they were when I hauled freight out of Edmonton 25 years ago.
Road rage is not new, but it was extremely rare in the 70s, rare in the 80s, not common in the 90s and common from 2000 on. And it has spread north.

I first encountered road rage south of Millet around about 1975. Up to the mid 1980s I never encountered it north of Slave Lake.
Today it is common everywhere I go. And no wonder, with people who believe that everyone else should accommodate their way of driving, while others think that 140k on a icy road is safe, how could there not be a lot of road rage.

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Exactly.

They over estimate their ability and the abilities of their vehicle, the roads, and other traffic. Plus their attitude stinks to high heaven. When I told one fellow that his behaviour was endangering other people lives and was illegal his retort was, " So, I don't get caught and so what if others might die, if they don't like my driving they can get the **** off the road."

I make my living on those highways. One thing I've learned, you can't defeat reality with any argument.
Sure there are times, on remote stretches of highway, where one could most likely drive 20k faster, safely. Problem is, most drivers aren't intelligent enough to slow down when things are less then ideal.
Just a few weeks ago, on this site, we had people arguing that they should be allowed to travel in excess of 120k on icy road in a snow storm.

I see a lot of that kind of driving, and I have to help clean up the mess those people leave behind. The twisted metal, the broken glass, the blood, and the road closures while accident investigators do their work. Thankfully I don't have anything to do with the torn apart bodies. I couldn't do that.

JB you are wrong. Drivers are far far worse today then they were when I started driving nearly forty years ago and they are considerably worse then they were when I hauled freight out of Edmonton 25 years ago.
Road rage is not new, but it was extremely rare in the 70s, rare in the 80s, not common in the 90s and common from 2000 on. And it has spread north.

I first encountered road rage south of Millet around about 1975. Up to the mid 1980s I never encountered it north of Slave Lake.
Today it is common everywhere I go. And no wonder, with people who believe that everyone else should accommodate their way of driving, while others think that 140k on a icy road is safe, how could there not be a lot of road rage.

Stick a nail in it and hang it on the wall well said KegRiver .......

[dumoulin]

Originally Posted by nof60

I have had my license for about 20 years. I can tell you that todays vehicles are superior in every way (braking, handleing, safety etc.) to the ones I drove when I first got my license. Yet speed limits are exactly the same. Whats up with that?

Because modern medecine has not been able to reconstruct and revive someone who's brains have been smeared or all over the highway. Though the car may survive a crash at 160km/h, the person inside likely won't!!!

[dumoulin]

The day my neice died in the ICU at U of A, 3th floor, her brother, my nephew, was operating on a patient at the Foothills Hospital who's face was torn off in a high speed motorcyle accident. He receiveced a call in the O.R. from his colleague at the U of A who had to tell him his sister was dead from a head injury. She was traveling 80km/h. This week, a 16 year old girl rolled her truck at 160 km/h and nearly died from massive head injuries on the very same floor of the U of A Hospital.

Speed kills because the body can't sustain violent trauma. If you ask any trauma surgeon, like my nephew, or EMT and they would tell you that increasing the speed limit would be an excellent way to garentee more speed related related deaths.

I think if we want to go faster, we should look into "being beamed up". Since that won't happen anytime soon, we should look into what makes us want to drive faster and change our live in relationship the the schmozle which has it has become.

Just a though... BTW, think about the ppl who die on that floor everyday and their parents beforeou decide you want to be a race car driver!

[Bobby B.]

I wonder where the bad drivers come from, everyone here reads as an excellent driver. Maybe the bad drivers are coming from outer space.

Bobby B.

[deanmc]

Vehicles are superior in every way because of legislation requiring vehicles to be SAFER.
There are many other differences between now and then. Not the least of which is that years ago we just accepted that sometimes people died. Now we dont and have tried to make everything safer.