Should we have higher speed limits

[silver6933]

I'd prefer if the limit was reduced to 100km/h for the following reasons.

This is a band aid solution to a problem.


I will bet you, that most of the traffic fatalities are with pedestrians and at speeds well below 100kph.


We need to educate people on how to drive defensively. But a taxi driver is hardly going to care.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Try not to hit a pothole at 200kmh.

It can work, but kinda assumes that you've got road worthy cars, good roads and well trained drivers that didn't buy their license. So I'd rather not see them try that here.

I actually think our 120 is not a bad number...its just all these random 60 signs they put up near highway construction zones that pss me off. Only a fraction of the people follow them & then you end up with a dangerous mix of 60k drivers and 120k drivers on the same piece of road.

Exactly that.

I'm of the opinion it's the slow people mixed with the faster people that causes half of the ***.

Idiots doing 80km/h in the middle or right lanes etc.

They are right...speed does accident. Going too slowly that is.

 

[mr_norris]

c) Roadworthy checks on a regular basis on all such routes.

This.

I don't know how many people I've passed at night with:

- No lights on all around
- No lights on in either front or back
- Fog lights on, only
- Headlight on the one side, with fog light on the other side combo
- One headlight on
- One fog light on

How people get away with this BS is beyond me.

IMO, the speed limit shouldn't be increased until something simple like maintaining lights, or using the correct lights becomes common practice. It's just bloody dangerous in some cases.

Irritations aside, I usually cruise in the slow lane trying to maintain the 100kph mark. It saves so much fuel

 

[SauRoNZA]

This is a band aid solution to a problem.


I will bet you, that most of the traffic fatalities are with pedestrians and at speeds well below 100kph.


We need to educate people on how to drive defensively. But a taxi driver is hardly going to care.

And I love their statistic of 40% or whatever being speed related but then they fail to mention that 80% of that 40% was drunk or on their cellphone or having McDonald's etc.

Very rarely is speed in and of itself the problem, but rather people speeding while inebriated or otherwise not paying attention.

Doing 150km/h with your full attention on the road is a no brainer.

 

[SauRoNZA]

This.

I don't know how many people I've passed at night with:

- No lights on all around
- No lights on in either front or back
- Fog lights on, only
- Headlight on the one side, with fog light on the other side combo
- One headlight on
- One fog light on

How people get away with this BS is beyond me.

IMO, the speed limit shouldn't be increased until something simple like maintaining lights, or using the correct lights becomes common practice. It's just bloody dangerous in some cases.

Irritations aside, I usually cruise in the slow lane trying to maintain the 100kph mark. It saves so much fuel

Yet if a person doing 200km/h hits that car with no lights on doing 80km/h in the right lane we'll be told that speed caused the accident.

Meanwhile incompetent idiot is at fault and the "speeder" is in fact the victim.

 

[InternetSwag]

Irritations aside, I usually cruise in the slow lane trying to maintain the 100kph mark. It saves so much fuel

I do this too, but mainly because I drive a 1200

 

[Johnatan56]

I do this too, but mainly because I drive a 1200

How are you faster than a Bugatti?
Or most planes for that matter.

 

[bwana]

Too many unsafe vehicles and cereal box drivers on SA's roads for me to feel comfortable with the idea of derestricting roads.

 

[Rickster]

How are you faster than a Bugatti?
Or most planes for that matter.

1200CC not KM/h.

 

[supersunbird]

Yet if a person doing 200km/h hits that car with no lights on doing 80km/h in the right lane we'll be told that speed caused the accident.

Meanwhile incompetent idiot is at fault and the "speeder" is in fact the victim.

And I have working lights am doing 130 km/h and need to overtake that 80km/l car. I check my mirrors and blind spots, I see a vehicle lights very far back. I manoeuvre into the lane to overtake, while overtaking either the 200km/h insert-derogatory-term-here (must be an insert-derogatory-term-here to think there is enough visibility for 200km/h at night on our poorly lit and poorly marked roads or the well lit but always busy N1 with many crests and dips*) either slams into me or has to throw all anchors on and then flashes me and road rages behind me or looses control during the hard braking and crashes or rolls anyway.

*and no, I don't believe the insert-derogatory-term-here will slow down to something safer on the crests on the N1....

 

[SauRoNZA]

And I have working lights am doing 130 km/h and need to overtake that 80km/l car. I check my mirrors and blind spots, I see a vehicle lights very far back. I manoeuvre into the lane to overtake, while overtaking either the 200km/h insert-derogatory-term-here (must be an insert-derogatory-term-here to think there is enough visibility for 200km/h at night on our poorly lit and poorly marked roads or the well lit but always busy N1 with many crests and dips*) either slams into me or has to throw all anchors on and then flashes me and road rages behind me or looses control during the hard braking and crashes or rolls anyway.

*and no, I don't believe the insert-derogatory-term-here will slow down to something safer on the crests on the N1....

It was a purposely extreme example to illustrate that the car with no lights caused the accident, yet we never see those statistics mentioned.

I wasn't advocating that the 200km/h ********* was in the right.

 

[supersunbird]

It was a purposely extreme example to illustrate that the car with no lights caused the accident, yet we never see those statistics mentioned.

I wasn't advocating that the 200km/h ********* was in the right.

Good to hear. Sure wish those cars with so few working or no lights were pulled over fined heavily, if pulled over for same offence after 7 days or more, car impounded.

 

[Venomous]

I'd prefer if the limit was reduced to 100km/h for the following reasons.

1. South African's have no idea of what distance it takes to stop from 120km/h in an emergency. They drive with totally inadequate following distances.
2. We have far too many people and animals crossing roads at any time of the day and night. You won't stop within 20 meters if you're traveling at 120km/h.

I do not agree with you.

The limit should remain or even be increased on some roads.


stopping distsnce:
The only time your stopping distance can be adequate is IF YOU allow not only space for your car to stop, BUT you consider what the guy behind you is driving. If you have ABS, and the guy behind you has a 1980`s car - you will need more stopping distance to allow for you to stop without the back of your car being violated. (for their own stopping they had enough space).
People crossing the freeway. - How often have you heard old folk whining "when I was young it was illegal to walk on the freeway". (If it is really a law it was never changed from what I heard).
But I guess for some people it is not obvious that crossing a freeway is hazardous to their health. Foot bridges are ignored or stolen for scrap metal.
On roads where it is considered safe there are pedestrian crossings at traffic lights and such. Yet people walk across the road 30m up from there. Placing their life and yours at risk.

So no. The problem is not the speed limit but the lack of respect for fellow road users and for that 800kg+ hunk of metal rushing towards you.

 

[AstroTurf]

Throw out k53 and include principles from advanced driving courses.

Make learners and drivers a compulsory matric subject.

 

[Spliffcat]

To many idiotic clowns that should not even be walking on the roads never mind driving one.

 

[silver6933]

I don't believe the insert-derogatory-term-here will slow down to something safer on the crests on the N1....

I used to be one of those insert-derogatory-term-here drivers.

I was fortunate to grow older and wiser, (with out an accident). I now drive below the speed limit. And keep my speed antics to the race track.

 

[Fazda]

I used to be one of those insert-derogatory-term-here drivers.

I was fortunate to grow older and wiser, (with out an accident). I now drive below the speed limit. And keep my speed antics to the race track.

Interesting that you talk about the track - my driving slowed down considerably, once I started competing in rallies - competition not only sorts out the adrenaline rush, but also has the added benefit of improving your driving ability at the same time.

That being said - 120 is actually more than enough for SA conditions as they are, coupled with the inept cretins who climb in behind the vast percentage of steering wheels in this country.

 

[AstroTurf]

Interesting that you talk about the track - my driving slowed down considerably, once I started competing in rallies - competition not only sorts out the adrenaline rush, but also has the added benefit of improving your driving ability at the same time.

That being said - 120 is actually more than enough for SA conditions as they are, coupled with the inept cretins who climb in behind the vast percentage of steering wheels in this country.

We also have pedestrians on many parts of our highways.

 

[Fazda]

We also have pedestrians on many parts of our highways.

Yes - I have a nightmare run in that respect - school kids all live on the sea side of the N2 between Umkomaas and Umgababa - in the mornings, they all wander across the freeway, going to school on the land side, and in the evenings they are all wandering back.

They have absolutely zero concept of speed and appear unfazed by a one and a half ton car flying towards them at 120 km/h.

I am now driving through with my hooter pressed the whole way, in the hope that they might realise that I am bigger than they are, and I might hurt them permanently if I was to hit them.

 

[Ancalagon]

South African drivers are simply not mature enough for deregulated speed limits. Heck South African drivers aren't mature enough to obey the current rules of the road, nevermind more progressive rules.