Please slow down!!

[sylvrinvader]

They should triple the insurance premium of anyone under 26. The roadways will be much safer.

and only be able to get DL after 4-5  years of having a learners depending on driving record. if you get a speeding ticket you wait another 3-6 months depending on the speed over the limit  you were driving

[frenchy]

I think we have it pretty good.
Maintained roads, street signs, speed limits, civilized drivers, enforcement, etc....

Seen alot of other places in the world where the roads are more of a free for all between cars, bikes, wagons, tractors, animals, pedestrians.
Looks like complete chaos.

[MB.Muffin]

wow.. i have to agree with frenchy that we've got it good
but i also agree that some people should not be on the road (not necessarily speeders - but some of them are just stupid adolescents that THINK they're good and should be revoked of all driving priveledges)

Im sorry to offend anyone here now but honestly you all are RETARDED if you think upping restrictions is gonna put better drivers on the road. It won't. People who are gonna have to wait 6 years to get their DL are gonna just gonna say EFF IT and drive without getting a license or isurance. (AND MATT4X4 this is not me saying i do it!) This is common sense. You'd just be giving someone else a new reason to avoid insurance and a license which in the end could hurt you should they hit you (no license to track a hit and run and no insurance to pay for damages on your vehicle)... something to think about. I'll admit the system has flaws and something should be considered to encourage these new drivers to slow down...Maybe drivers training should become mandatory or something instead of just a reason to get discount for insurance.

Not to mention that by upping the restrictions to discourage speeding is penalizing those who are good drivers.

[Tinkerer]

I agree with MB that perhaps we should go the way of Europe with mandatory drivers education from *reputable* trainers, regular retests for *all* ages etc.  It's unfortunate that we have to institute "mother" with all the loss of freedoms, expenses etc., rather than people accepting the responsibilities and agreements that come with applying for, receiving an operators license and choosing to climb behind the wheel.

Hmm.. that's kinda off the topic of slowing down when there is a hazard present, whether that be construction, tow trucks, police, ems, fire or just the new mom out changing a tire or putting fuel in her auto.  Some of these are laws, some are just (not so) common sense.

PS: I hate to have to add this part, but some people just don't get it...  To those who will argue that you didn't make any agreements when you got your license (and many have brought up that argument, including one guy at work), do you sign any agreement to pay when you enter a restaurant?  No? Oh, but you pay the restaurant... it's called implied agreements, the same as when the choice is made to climb behind the wheel. You don't sign, but by that choice, you implicitly agree to the laws, rules etc. that apply.  You may note that this then applies to people *without* a license too.  No license doesn't mean you can't get tickets.

Ok, now that I've probably ticked off a ton of people, I'm off to get some sleep and degrouch some.

[93Zjay]

actually i have to agree here... im new to this site... i work for the city in the roads dept and my divison is traffic operations... i close raods and do detour work for contractors.... so yes PLZ slow down even on crowchild where i usually work!

[stuckagain]

Wow this is a heated discussion! I spent 4 years working on the Deerfoor for the maintenace contractor. I do understand the driving publics frustration at reduced speeds in construction zones. The reduced speeds are not only for the construction workers safety but also for the driving publics safety. Lots of contstruction zones have speeds set by Alberta transportation to a limit to allow the safest conditions for both worker and public. Temporary cement barriers (Jersey Wall) is only rated at (I think) 80 kmh and water barriers (70) so even at night when the site appears to be emptythe speeds are reduced for everyones safety! I won't touch on the age issue because I have mixed opinions about that. I started driving at a very young age (9) and my kids have done the same.

[MB.Muffin]

Wow this is a heated discussion! I spent 4 years working on the Deerfoor for the maintenace contractor. I do understand the driving publics frustration at reduced speeds in construction zones. The reduced speeds are not only for the construction workers safety but also for the driving publics safety. Lots of contstruction zones have speeds set by Alberta transportation to a limit to allow the safest conditions for both worker and public. Temporary cement barriers (Jersey Wall) is only rated at (I think) 80 kmh and water barriers (70) so even at night when the site appears to be emptythe speeds are reduced for everyones safety! I won't touch on the age issue because I have mixed opinions about that. I started driving at a very young age (9) and my kids have done the same.

I'll agree that at night because of reduced vision that a reduced speed is definitely safe. I also agree with reduced speeds being safer for both... but not the fact that he said the Jersey Wall (cement barrier) is rated 80 km/hr (he thinks) ... this is what I mean... If there is a cement barrier  a limit of say 60 with workers present and maybe a 70 or 80 limit when no workers are present (including evenings) ... these are obviously in place for a reason.. this is my issue.. slowing traffic down more than required... We already have enough people on the road who don't know how to keep up with the speed limit.. why add to it?

[Tinkerer]

We already have enough people on the road who don't know how to keep up with the speed limit.. why add to it?

Let me try to say this without inciting a riot...  The speed limit is a maximum limit under ideal conditions, not a suggested speed. Since ideal conditions seldom exist, in the strictest sense, it should be pretty rare to actually get to the speed limit.  Now I live in the "real world", so I accept that people will want to do the speed limit under reasonable conditions. Some have good reasons to travel at less than the speed limit which, up to a point, is perfectly legal.  It is these conditions that are the subject of this thread... construction, emergency vehicles (including tow trucks), even a hazardous situation such as someone changing a tire, stalled car, poor visibility for whatever reason etc.  It astounds me how many people will *accelerate INTO a hazard*... Darwin Awards anyone?   Also note that Jeeps are not inherently designed for driving fast, even less so with the most common modifications (lifts etc.), so that should be taken into account as well.

Be very aware that you can be driving at or under the posted limit and *still* get a speeding ticket under the basic speed law - speed unsafe for conditions. Quite a few people get caught by this one and not just when it is snowy and icy out, though that is the most common.

As one person who is actually trying to get whatever mileage I can get out of my Jeep, I often am operating under the speed limit, so long as I'm not obstructing traffic etc.  At least I'm not doing something illegal... it actually *is* within my rights as an operator to do so (within reason).  I don't do it while hogging a fast lane, merging etc. and often find other people doing the same speed (or less) than me.

I used to always do the speed limit rather religiously if conditions permitted, but since I found I can squeeze an additional 25% out of my tank driving the way I do *and* I get there in pretty much the same amount of time (and often catch up to the light-to-light racers at the next red light), I have changed my driving habits and will continue until either fuel drops drastically or someone else starts paying my fuel bills. (Volunteers??? )

Ah well, I guess I had better put on my asbestos undies and sit back...

[MB.Muffin]

so long as I'm not obstructing traffic etc.

This is the reason I said what I said... most people who drive UNDER the speed limit

a) don't know where they're going
b) don't know how to evaluate their surroundings
c) are just plain retarded. (sorry to be offensive)

and all of these things OBSTRUCT traffic. I can understand slowing down for an Icy road, I can understand slowing down for a really rough road (lots of bumps, potholes, etc.) I can understand slowing down for even a wet road, construction zones, emergency vehicles... what I can't understand is why on earth people have to drive 20 km UNDER the speed limit when the road is not congested, no construction zones in view, no ice, no snow, road is dry...

There are factors that can determine slowing down traffic and i'm sorry if this offends anyone but being a SENOIOR CITIZEN or a FOREIGN VISITOR does not count in my opinion.. if you can't keep up with the speed limit because going the speed limit makes your "nervous" then get off the fricken road.

Hesitators and people who aren't paying attention or aren't aware of their surroundings are people who cause the most accidents... speeding can be a factor but not always...

My point is..  i've seen cases and expereinced cases where speeding was never the cause of the accident it was the idiot who made the illegal lane change or right turn... but somehow the person going under the speed limit is pinged with speeding... with no other factors like snow, ice, construction, emerg vehicles, etc... to change or inhibit the conditions.

I'm very aware they exist. And I myself have driven under the speed limit. All i'm saying is its not always the cause or the problem. No one seems to get that.

[Tinkerer]

This is the reason I said what I said... most people who drive UNDER the speed limit

a) don't know where they're going
b) don't know how to evaluate their surroundings
c) are just plain retarded. (sorry to be offensive)

and all of these things OBSTRUCT traffic. I can understand slowing down for an Icy road, I can understand slowing down for a really rough road (lots of bumps, potholes, etc.) I can understand slowing down for even a wet road, construction zones, emergency vehicles... what I can't understand is why on earth people have to drive 20 km UNDER the speed limit when the road is not congested, no construction zones in view, no ice, no snow, road is dry...

Wow, so I guess because
a) I know where I'm going (I've lived here all my life)
b) I know how to evaluate my surroundings (been driving both personally and professionally since the mid 70's)
I must be
c) Retarded

Thanks a ton, and I *do* find that offensive and I *did* give you a valid reason.  Further if you are truly sorry, why say it that way in the first place? What about motorhomes? What about Jeeps going up hills? What about people who actually make an *INFORMED* decision to go slower like myself? I actually did explain it, I'm sorry you can't understand it. Kinda arrogant to assume that we're retards. 

There are factors that can determine slowing down traffic and i'm sorry if this offends anyone but being a SENOIOR CITIZEN or a FOREIGN VISITOR does not count in my opinion.. if you can't keep up with the speed limit because going the speed limit makes your "nervous" then get off the fricken road.

Hesitators and people who aren't paying attention or aren't aware of their surroundings are people who cause the most accidents... speeding can be a factor but not always...

So far, I don't fit any of those categories. I'm not a senior, I'm definitely not foreign, I *can* keep up, but choose not to, I'm certainly not nervous doing the speed limit and why should I get off the "fricken road", do you OWN it?  Do you have EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS to it?  Are you so important that everyone else should get out of your way or off the road?  Where does this arrogant attitude come from? One day you are going to be a senior and I really want to see YOUR reaction when YOU get told that you shouldn't have the right to drive when you've helped BUILD what exists at that time.  I've paid more road taxes than you, perhaps YOU should get off the "fricken road" eh?

My point is..  i've seen cases and expereinced cases where speeding was never the cause of the accident it was the idiot who made the illegal lane change or right turn... but somehow the person going under the speed limit is pinged with speeding... with no other factors like snow, ice, construction, emerg vehicles, etc... to change or inhibit the conditions.

I'm very aware they exist. And I myself have driven under the speed limit. All i'm saying is its not always the cause or the problem. No one seems to get that.

Now I'm shaking my head because after you very pointedly calling me retarded, you state that speed has very little to do with the accidents in your experiences... it's more poor judgement, something exacerbated by having to make those judgements in increasingly smaller periods of time as speed increases.. WOW.

After driving ambulance for quite a while, I have a different opinion, it is more often the impatient, arrogant "I own the road and everyone else better get out of my way" types who in their rush make those  mistakes you state... not paying due attention or exercising due care, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, cutting people off, blazing out of lights without looking, blazing up to red lights and hoping everything is working 100% by leaving minimum stopping distance and so on and so on. Heck, even on a road with only two of us on it and with two lanes each way, people seem to feel that they need to cut me off coming into the lane I'm in, presumably just because I'm not going the speed limit, now THAT IS ARROGANCE... pretty much trying to cause an accident!

I remember a time when people actually cared about the other people around them, partially because they realized that the person in the next car that should "go away" or "go back to where they came from" might be the one who makes your food, builds your roads, provides your healthcare, built the house you live in, provides the fuel for your vehicle, the clothes you wear, the electricity and natural gas you use and so on and so on pretty much ad infinitum. That's a pretty egocentric (self-centred) attitude.

I'm done... I know from past experience that people won't "get it"... but I won't go back to driving the speed limit and burning MY fuel at MY expense using MY money that *I* worked hard for just so some egocentric arrogant (expletive deleted) can get somewhere 30 seconds to 1 minute faster.

[SwampSinger]

The best way to do it is.....

 to drive twice the speed limit with one hand on the horn and one hand out the window flipping the bird and saying " Tarbarnack..move awt da way Ostie!!!!"

My God you guys....

[Tinkerer]

The best way to do it is.....

 to drive twice the speed limit with one hand on the horn and one hand out the window flipping the bird and saying " Tarbarnack..move awt da way Ostie!!!!"

My God you guys....

I have a whole block of those where I live and more in the surrounding community... plus I married one    I do find driving the way I do, I get less stressed too <lol>.

[XJHERO]

This one time in band camp............................












I like jeeps they are cool

[Immortal]

I like jeeps they are cool

LOL...

is this done yet?

[sylvrinvader]

we had a flute