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Re: Question for Speeders





In article <Pine.OSF.3.91.950528202729.3038A-100000@paul.spu.edu>, borap@paul.spu.edu said:
>On 26 May 1995, Susan E Clark wrote:
>
>> What would you do if someone's pet or child ran out in front of you at 
>> such a high speed?  (100-130 mph)   

For some reason I didn't catch the original post, only Dai's followup, but
since Susan appears to be addressing me, I'll say something.

What on earth makes you think that I would drive that fast where children and
pets might be entering the road? As Dai pointed out, I put strict conditions
on where and when I would go that fast. We're talking about freeway driving
in good weather with good visibility on a multi-lane limited access highway
in good repair, and no traffic congestion. Under those conditions, I would
drive my (designed for) 170 mph car at 100-130 mph.

You needn't keep your children and pets locked in the house in fear that I
might go roaring down your residential street at 100 mph some quiet suburban 
evening. It won't happen.

Some people seem to think that high speed is dangerous under any and all
conditions. They are wrong. I suspect such people have bought the insurance
industry party line and don't bother to think for themselves on this issue.
If speed alone were automatically dangerous, everyone who drove in this
weekend's Indy 500 would be dead. Speed is only dangerous when combined with
conditions that make it so. These conditions can include weather, the state
of the road, other traffic, pedestrians, poor equipment, and a poor or impaired
driver. A reasonable driver takes these things into account, whether or not
that driver chooses to drive at high speed.

"It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end."

Michael Johnson
Relay Technology, Inc.


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