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Terrifying Obedience

March 13, 2006

A group of students in Atlanta took formation 4 lanes wide and drove the speed limit, seriously honking off drivers behind them who habitually drove 20mph faster.  And said drivers, honked back, passed on the right, etc. It was scary stuff:
A meditation on the speed limit

I don’t have a lot of sympathy for speeders (last speeding ticket, 1974) but tailgating is even more dangerous and I’ve never heard of anyone getting a ticket for it.  And don’t even get me started on ‘driving while talking on a cell phone’.

I have often wanted to see an experiment like this done by someone else willing to risk their hides.  It would be illegal in Illinois because our state has a ‘speeder support law’ that makes extended travel in the left lane – even at the speed limit – a ticketable offense. What I wondered about the experiment was; how did they break formation at the end?  That would be the most dangerous part by far.  I also wondered if officials in Atlanta will get the point and raise the speed limit. 

The funny thing is, if everyone obeyed the speed limit, they’d probably spend less time accelerating and decelerating and actually reach their destinations faster. 

(From Notes from the terminal ward)

Categories: Safety & Health
  1. March 14, 2006 at 09:18 | #1

    I avoid Atlanta like the plaque. Speedlimit signs on the Atlanta by-pass are just taking up space. It makes the Dan Ryan look like a stroll through the park..

  2. Officer Kramer
    March 21, 2006 at 19:52 | #2

    you’re a freakin idiot for writing this comment. they should take away all speed limits and allow only good sober drivers on the road.

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