Opinion Piece 2
Do you drive like you can afford a ticket? If yes, you’re not alone.
I personally believe that driving faster is safe as long as the road conditions permit. For instance, if there was a blizzard and the temperature were low, I would not drive faster than the posted limit, however on a sunny day during the summer seasons, maybe I would. I admit I have a bit of a lead foot, and most times I don’t realise how much faster over the posted limit I am going, but it is the most frustrating thing when someone is in the left lane going the limit; this could be more harmful than going 10kms over. According to the AODD traffic school, driving faster can be safer. “...it is actually safer to drive at a higher rate of speed.” (Feb 2018) The AODD says this for a few reasons, most accidents are caused by slow driving, you are less likely to get in an accident than drivers who are going slower or more “safely”, and people usually drive at a speed they feel comfortable at. If someone feels safe doing 70kms in a 50kms zone, they are safer than someone doing 45kms in a 50km zone on the same roads. On the highway just north of Nanaimo, the speed limit was 120kms, and just recently they changed it to 110kms, and a lot of people who drive that portion of the highway were outraged, as they felt safe doing 120kms and it made their driving time faster. To conclude, I believe that driving faster is safer and if you are travelling at a speed in which you feel comfortable with, you are a safer driver than one who goes below the speed limit, wreaking the flow of traffic.
Links:
AODD Traffic School: http://www.aoddca.com/is-driving-faster-actually-safer
Nanaimo Highway: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/culture/article-would-the-road-be-safer-if-we-could-drive-faster/
