Comments | branwyn: Get thee behind me, Branwyn!

branwyn January 4 2006, 23:45:02 UTC

Yeah, I know. This is going to make me very, very sad.

Not as sad as having to drive way off to the right, with all of the old people, the driver's-ed drop-outs, the skittish paranoids who shouldn't be allowed to roll a shopping cart around much less drive on the 401, and people who drive cars which look and smell as though they can't possibly actually be moving at all, let alone the speed limit, which they've clearly re-built and repaired themselves from two "parts cars" of vastly different vintages which are rusting on their front lawn, with the help of a considerable amount of duct tape and several dozen extra-large black plastic tie-wraps.

B.

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kindar January 4 2006, 23:53:22 UTC

it's not just the old people and drop outs that drive in the right lane. thats where I'm most of the time, either in my truck or in my car. I find that driving 110kpm is a good 'safe' speed, at least for me

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branwyn January 5 2006, 03:38:06 UTC

No, I know it's not ONLY the rejects in the right hand lane. When I wrote this I was actually thinking more of the collectors on the 401, which I find much more dangerous to drive in because there seem to be a much larger percentage of people who, even if they are driving slower, are less in control of their vehicles... people who lane change without checking, who tailgate, who can't keep a steady speed, who drive right on the edge of their lane, or in two lanes... stuff like that. Those are the people I am not looking forward to driving around.

B.

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kindar January 6 2006, 01:45:06 UTC

ok, that I can understand. the trick is to slow down to get out of their way instead of speeding up

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kurtmrufa January 5 2006, 02:19:47 UTC

Well, look forward to good fuel economy. I used to get +33mpg on 60mph cruising; now since I got a short ram intake on the car (well worth the $150, by the way) and took the crossmembers off the roof rack I can get better than 34mpg in similar service. I haven't even done the exhuast or anything else yet.

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ambereyeslupus January 5 2006, 03:31:26 UTC

Alternately, you could always be wrapped around a telephone pole, nearby tree, or involved in a multi-car accident. Would those make you more or less sad than having to drive on the right ( ... )

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branwyn January 5 2006, 04:58:04 UTC

Well, and you're right in stating that better for me to suffer driving slower than to find myself in an accident, as a strict A vs. B comparison... however, I draw a fairly weak causal relationship between speed and danger, despite what the lady at the Ministry of Transportation seemed bound to instill in me. She must have mentioned about 5 times in the 5 minutes I was there that "most accidents are caused by speeding" -- which is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard, barring perhaps some of Bush Jr.'s comments. Sure, traveling a bit faster gives you a bit less time to react, a bit longer to stop once you have reacted, and a bit harder of an impact if you do hit something at that speed, but if you're traveling that speed you should be taking those into account... and if it's something you couldn't possibly have avoided regardless of speed, then a) speed didn't cause the accident and b) you are just as dead running into whatever-it-is at 120km/h as you are at 100km/h ( ... )

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ambereyeslupus January 5 2006, 05:18:19 UTC

Well, and you're right in stating that better for me to suffer driving slower than to find myself in an accident, as a strict A vs. B comparison... however, I draw a fairly weak causal relationship between speed and danger, despite what the lady at the Ministry of Transportation seemed bound to instill in me.And to note, speed itself doesn't kill - it's difference in speed that kills. If everyone is driving at 130km/h, yah, that might be fast, but because everyone is going the same speed it's a safer than mixing 100km/h and 120 km/h people. Obviously, as you increase the km/h, it does get more dangerous, but those variations are extraordinarily dangerous ( ... )

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branwyn January 5 2006, 17:08:16 UTC

Ah! The key point that you are then missing is that the flow of traffic on the 401, at least in the express lanes, is about 120 km/h -- 20 km/h over the posted speed limit. On the basis of speed differentials, it's probably safer to drive 120km/h in the 401 Express than the speed limit of 100 km/h ANYWHERE on the 401. But not for me... because that may mean losing my license. If there was a reasonable alternative to taking the 401 I'd consider it... but there's really not.

Interesting story - possibly an urban myth but who knows, because I guarantee if someone did this, it would play out exactly like this - of a guy who got a speeding ticket on the 401. As a protest, he and a friend drove side-by-side going the speed limit down the 401 in rush hour, and backed up traffic clear through Toronto. They were pulled over and given tickets for dangerous driving for going the speed limit. It's at least true that when taking your driver's test one of the biggest points of confusion is that you have two conflicting directives: travel ( ... )

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ambereyeslupus January 5 2006, 18:58:22 UTC

Oh! Yeah, I didn't mean hard numbers there, I just meant that speed differentials kill, period. The higher the speeds involved when the accident occurs, obviously make a difference in creating a more serious accident - should one occur. Hence why if everyone is doing 140 km/h, it's probably safer than if one person is doing 120km/h and another is doing 90km/h ( ... )

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