There is a time and a place for many things,. In the case of driving fast and/or without a cat, the public roads ain't the place. That's why we have race tracks.

As to the guy(s) who lamely claim that speed limits have nothing to do with safety, that's remarkable nonsense. In many ways. For instance, when highway speed limits were reduced to 55mph some years ago, highway deaths dropped dramatically. Likewise, when they started creeping back up, so did the highway mortality rate. In addition to absolute speed correlating very well with mortality rates, differences in speeds by cars on the same highway correlate very highly with traffic deaths. The idiot who's driving 20mph faster than those around him is a danger to all around him.

As to removing the cat, what possible legitimate reason is there to do that in a street car? It adds incrementally to the power and torque, but for what legitimate purpose? These cars go plenty fast enough, and get there quickly enough, in stock form for any legitimate road use. If you're tracking your car, and want a bit of extra power, swap out your exhaust before you hit the track, just like you have to swap out brake pads and tires. It's not a big deal, and the cat is there for a very real health reason. It's mere arrogance that says "It's ok for me to do it."

These cars are great fun to drive on the track, where conditions are as safe as possible for extreme speed, and all other participants have expelicitly assumed the risk of high speeds, and significant differences in speeds. But it is dangerous, irresponsible and stupid to drive cars at extreme speed on the public roads, or at a speed significantly higher than those around you.

 

The speed issue requires a little common sense. A good example of this is the drive from Okla. City to Dallas I frequently mention. Starting on I 35 just south of downtown OKC, it is not even safe to drive as fast as the speed limit. You never know when you are going to come over a little hill and find traffic at a standstill due to never-ending construction. A few miles further south, and it is best to drive the speed the majority of other drivers are going, because there are cops. Note that traffic generally flows here a bit above the speed limit, but a cop can't stop several hundred cars at once. About 60 miles south of that, and you are on the "American Autobahn" with very sparse traffic, long sight lines, and generall traffic flow in the 80-90 mph range. Few if any cops. Actually, our state's Public Safety Commissioner has stated that the safest speed to drive is the speed at which traffic is actually moving. In other words, "go with the flow." This is a good place to do it. Further south, and you enter the huge Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Here, I really don't think it is safe to drive at any speed! Here, there is heavy traffic, and "go with the flow" is mandatory, as a practical matter, and it's often well below the limit -- but sometimes above it. But whatever, as here it's go with the flow or die!

On this trip, one sees a variety of road and traffic conditions that realistically make the speed limit in given locations sometimes too high and sometimes too low. I wish our Public Safety Commissioner would take the next step in his "go with the flow" theory and actually do a survey of prevailing traffic speeds in various areas of this and other roadways, and set the speed limits at the speed at which traffic actually flows. Among other things, this would result in realistic speed limits that would result in increased public respect for the limits. In a few areas, the limit would be lowered from 70 to about 50. In another area, it would be raised from 60 to 70. And on the "American Autobahn" it would be increased from 70 to 90.

Thanks,
Richard

 

Except that everyone would start pushing that limit by doing 100

 

Gosh, thanks for helping. Your point?

 

The speed issue in heavily populated areas and insane traffic is ok, and i agree with speeding penalties enforced in areas such as school zones and hospitals. I strongly protest speed limits in open roads such as interstates but agree with speed having effects within desely congested areas. The issue of speed boils down to one and one thing only to most local police agencies and that is revenue. They could give a shit less if safety was a factor, only thing on their one track mind is, were you over the posted sigh, and if so, yippee we get to write another! And those who are speed limit Nazis need to reat the National Speed and Highway Safety Institue surveys, speed is never the leading cause of crash related fatalities. We are talking a game of probability there! The only true and absolute factor related to speed is that forces of impact do increase with speed, however, speed does not always represent an increased risk. A majority a huge factor cops fail to enforce and realize are drivers driving significantly below posted limits and do not realize that those slower drivers also pose an increased risk to drivers moving within the designated limits. Sadly, those slower drivers contribute to most of the problems of congestion and increased risk yet they go unenforced and unpunished for posing this safety hazard. Slower drivers also are usually less intune with driving conditions, for they "feel" that simply driving slow is a magical spell that mystically eliminates all driving risks and hazards.
People who usually speed, in a safe manor, are more intune with the ever changing driving conditions and will react and adapt as needed to ensure safe speeding conditions. The negative side are the ones deemed "wreckless" who tailgate, weave in and out of lanes and travel at an outrageous speed above the posted limits.
Cops are more concerned with filling out that tablet over safety! Go and read some of the stats on ticket revenue, notice that most speeding violations occur on open roads, wow imagine that! Revenue Revenue Reveune is the true motive for speeding regulations being as stiff as they are.

 

And FTW, Kyushin 8 Cops 0

0 speeding tickets, and NOT GUILTY on the rest!

 

You would think so but its not necessarly true.

A few years back in Montana (I think), they removed the speed limit on certain state run highways. At first there was an increase of accidents but then (after the whole WOW effect wore off), it was actually safer then before with a speed limit. Naturally they put the speed limit back because the limit is all about economics and nothing else. It has nothing to do with safety.

I think all major points have been addressed so I won't dwell on anything to long.

Basically, Speed Smart as I always say. I'll speed only when I feel that its safe enough to speed. I also obey all other traffic regulations so to say speeds have unsafe driving habbits is not true. I HATE people who stay in the left lane and only drive the limit. I'll stay behind them and flash my lights till they get over so I can pass properly. I don't tail gate, I don't haul ass past people, I don't swerve, I just go 5-15mph over the speed limit.

As far as the cat goes, I don't care. I run catless. The way I figure it, go piss and moan at the racing events, air planes, diesel trucks, etc before you come here and give me a lecture over my little 2.0 liter I4 engine

 

I read an article in one of the car enthusiast magazines a while back that said when the the 55mph speed limit was instated in order to lower fuel consumption back in the 80's (not for saftety) the highway accident rate was actually higher than when the limits were raised years later.

The explanation is very simple and logical. At 55mph or any other artificially low speed on a road with characteristics that truly allow a much higher speed while being safe given the quality, width, etc of such a road, drivers fall into a false sense of security and are far more prone to falling asleep at the wheel, becoming distracted, daydreaming, multi-tasking, etc.

In Europe (Germany in particular) where limits are either higher or non existing in the case of the German Autobahn, their mortality rate per mile driven is much lower than ours. Put simply, if you are haulin' you need to PAY ATTENTION to what you are doing!

Please mind what I've posted. This does not mean I think speeding in close quarters or on roads inappropriate for the speeds or with traffic that makes high speeds unsafe do not fall into this rationale.

I firmly believe this is true. I personally drive faster than the flow of traffic when the road, weather and traffic conditions permit. I do not cut people off, I always signal lane changes and watch my horizon as well as my mirrors ALL THE TIME. I have found on countless occasions that this method of driving has saved me from being trapped in bottlenecks with inattentive drivers, distracted drivers, multi-tasking drivers, etc, etc. I absolutely never drive behind tall vehicles that block my forward view of the traffic pattern as this is the best way to to not get caught up in other people's mistakes. I frequently run my headlights on even in the daytime as my car is small and I've noticed not very visible to other drivers who are not as attentive as I am and are usually in much larger vehicles.

Speeding is not a sin unless it is actually putting people at risk. If used properly, speeding can save your life. It allows you to stay ahead of the idiots who are falling asleep, on the phone, looking for coins on the floor or applying makeup while reading the morning paper and yelling at their kids in the back seat.

I stay away from those like I actually knew they were trying to kill me because at the end of the day, they can say the NEVER speed but boy they sure do put people's lives at risk as they cut them off, never signal, merge into their lane despite not having sufficient speed or room to do so all while they keep up with VERY important current events by chatting on their mobile.

But they absolutely, never, NEVER speed. Because that's just wrong!

 

Most people don't rob houses. So if only a few people do it, does that mean it's OK for them? They really like doing it, and it enhances their quality of life. It's their favorite lifestyle mod. Since it's only a few of them, that's OK, right?

 

This topic really draws out the rationalizations, doesn't it?

1) It's OK for me, because:
a) I'm special, OR
b) everybody else does it, OR
c) somebody else does it, so therefore I can too

2) Speeding has no safety implications, because:
a) I can handle it, OR
b) the laws of physics don't apply to me

3) It's all the bad drivers who are the problem, but:
a) if I pretend they aren't there, they won't hurt me, OR
b) I know I'm not a bad driver because, well, I just know it!