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Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

fastcompany.com

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Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#551

Post by snowwrestler »

The Fast Company article says “Republicans in Virginia just passed a law to make it a punishment for repeated traffic violations.” But the Virginia legislature is currently controlled by the Democrats. And the delegate quoted in this local news story is a Democrat:

https://wjla.com/news/local/anti-speeding-device-car-reckles...

That story is probably more useful than the Fast Company one. It clarifies that the new law gives judges the option to require an ISA device to be installed at the defendant’s expense.

> Before the legislation, judges only had the power to suspend a driver’s license, issue fines, or sentence to jail.

It does not require manufacturers to pre-install them, and it does not use the electronics built into the car. It sounds analogous to the breathalyzer devices that are an option for judges in some jurisdictions.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#552

Post by K0balt »

ryao wrote: post #517
bayindirh wrote: post #438

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, because people are overestimating themselves. I know a couple of people who can do 2x the speed limit relatively safely , but this is because they were race drivers in a previous life. However, not everyone (incl. me) has that reflexes and situational awareness all the time. Recently I got into an accident. A car changed into my lane completely unannounced, and I was blinded by a car in my front diagonal. The c…

Explain how the German autobahn has fewer collisions than US high ways with lower than 85th percentile speed limits if the lower speed limits are such an advantage. Actual data does not support the idea of low speed limits. They are only in place as an attempt to reduce fleet fuel consumption, and hurt safety by causing big differences in vehicle speeds.

The german driving culture is largely responsible for the lack of spectacular fatalities on the autobahn.

In general, German culture has more respect for the “correct” way to do things, cars tend to be better maintained, and there is a much higher level of driver education going on.

Comparatively, American drivers are a bunch of filthy savages. (I say that as an American driver, currently driving in a country where the locals, in comparison with American drivers, are a bunch of filthy savages)

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#553

Post by ryao »

K0balt wrote: post #552
ryao wrote: post #517

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Explain how the German autobahn has fewer collisions than US high ways with lower than 85th percentile speed limits if the lower speed limits are such an advantage. Actual data does not support the idea of low speed limits. They are only in place as an attempt to reduce fleet fuel consumption, and hurt safety by causing big differences in vehicle speeds.

The german driving culture is largely responsible for the lack of spectacular fatalities on the autobahn. In general, German culture has more respect for the “correct” way to do things, cars tend to be better maintained, and there is a much higher level of driver education going on. Comparatively, American drivers are a bunch of filthy savages. (I say that as an American driver, currently driving in a country where t…

Then instead of doing all of these increasingly draconian measures, perhaps we should try to copy the Germans. The interstate highway system itself was a copy of the German autobahn system. We should have copied it in all of its aspects. It is never too late to do this.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#554

Post by vv_ »

Gareth321 wrote: post #422
GuB-42 wrote: post #205

There are cars that can go way over 100 mph, and they almost all speed controlled by software. High performance cars are often speed limited by software to about 150 mph. How is this legal? Cars with speed limits that high belong to the track, not public roads, with a possible exception for emergency vehicles. There are some rare (emergency) situations where "superspeeding" might help, but I can think of many others…

The primary reason is political: people don't like the idea of the government living inside our cars 24x7, telling us how fast we're allowed to go. Even though most of us don't speed. Other examples of this phenomenon include: * A government mandated alcohol, cigarette, and BMI limit to prevent major health issues. * Government surveillance of our emails, messages, phone calls, bank accounts and internet activity. *…

> Even though most of us don't speed.

I visited California once and was going from LAX to Kings Canyon National Park. I was driving the speed limit (I wasn't in any hurry) and got passed by literally everyone on the road. The vast majority of people drive faster than the speed limit. The question is "how much" over the speed limit you can comfortably go before you run the risk of being stopped and fined.

Repeat offenders should choose between not having a license to drive and having a mandatory speed limiter installed in their car. The issue is that it is not trivial to do on all vehicles.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#555

Post by card_zero »

flustercan wrote: post #291
allenrb wrote: post #224

Speed limiters built into cars. Anti-infringement technology built into general-purpose computers. And yet, guns and ammo freely available and unrestricted outside of automatic weapons and the like? Yeah. Can’t wait to move off-grid someday. (Yes, obviously American) I’ve got enough sense to keep it slow and safe in populated areas, yet occasionally open it up elsewhere when conditions are right. Guess that’s another…

Ehh the roads are public property. I don't think its unreasonable that if you want your car to be registered to drive on a public road it needs some sort of speed limiter. Its about the same level of infringement on your personal rights as requiring a car have seatbelts. Feel free to buy a car with no limiter or no seatbelts and drive it on your own private roads as fast as your heart desires.

Some kind of exoskeletons to control people just walking around in public, too. Stop them doing bad things.

Wait, no, that's an excessively extreme level of control, while seatbelt laws are an acceptable level of control because, actually I don't know why, but anyway speed limiters are somewhere between these two levels of control, and therefore acceptable. Or not. One of those.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#556

Post by tonyedgecombe »

worewood wrote: post #483
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #449

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because everybody else is doing it doesn't mean you have to as well.

Except that driving at a speed significantly different from the surrounding traffic increases the risk of a crash.

I’m not sure that is the case. Bunching together look like a higher risk to me.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#557

Post by ty6853 »

ryao wrote: post #540
Xylakant wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re trying to apply the “I am a good driver and my judgment is better than other people’s” argument - but the majority of people believe they’re an above average driver. That’s a dangerous fallacy. Now, you might truly be, but your argument paves the way for everyone else to say the same. After all, nothing happened so far. And that other driver might be the one that misjudges and crashes into you. On country road…

Yet the German autobahn suggests that the fallacy is the reasoning that highways even need speed limits. The autobahn is safer without speed limits than every single innovation we have had in setting speed limits. Perhaps it is time to stop blaming drivers and blame highway speed limits for causing safety issues.

This all seems like a moot point to me until there is actual consequences for people who ACTUALLY cause accidents. We all know someone (maybe ourselves) who had their car totaled, seriously damaged, or been harmed by people that hit and run, had no financially responsibility for their damage, intoxicated, etc. And jack shit happened to them.

When an illegal hit my car and totalled my car (and then ran off), the police told me to fuck off and would not even write a report.

I don't give a single shit about speeding limit enforcement because the yield seems just so incredibly low compared to the yield of the same effort actually going after people who generate real victims rather than hypothetical ones.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#558

Post by snowwrestler »

londons_explore wrote: post #34

States can make laws all they like, but will car manufacturers actually implement this in any workable way? I bet 90% of initial implementations will be resettable back to unlimited speed with a simple factory reset or similar.

The law mentioned in the article will allow judges to require a device to be installed at the defendant’s expense. It’s not about what is built into cars at the factory.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#559

Post by K0balt »

ryao wrote: post #553
K0balt wrote: post #552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The german driving culture is largely responsible for the lack of spectacular fatalities on the autobahn. In general, German culture has more respect for the “correct” way to do things, cars tend to be better maintained, and there is a much higher level of driver education going on. Comparatively, American drivers are a bunch of filthy savages. (I say that as an American driver, currently driving in a country where t…

Then instead of doing all of these increasingly draconian measures, perhaps we should try to copy the Germans. The interstate highway system itself was a copy of the German autobahn system. We should have copied it in all of its aspects. It is never too late to do this.

An example of a system that works well is usually the target of low-fidelity attempts to copy without understanding the fundamental principles that make it possible, I.e. copying the obvious form, but ignoring the cultural underpinnings. Also, muh freedoms. And I don’t need no edumacation, I ken drive jest fine.

Unfortunately, the USA has a weird version of the noble savage mythos that enshrines ignorance.

Re: Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders

#560

Post by donatj »

graemep wrote: post #527

Repeat offenders should not be allowed to drive. In the UK we have 12 points, and lose them for various offences. You get a fine, usually with the alternative of a course the first time. Speed again within 12 months and you get a fine and a minimum of three points (more if you are well above the limit). Speed again within four years and you will lose more points, and AFAIK pretty much guaranteed to be more than the m…

Many places in the United States use speed traps as revenue streams, and in many of the same places in the US it's nigh impossible to get around without a vehicle.

Taking someone's license away for getting caught doing 5 over a few too many times on the freeway where literally everyone is always doing 5 over and you are more of a danger by not going the speed of traffic doesn't in any way serve the public interest as far as I can tell. It's a death sentence for a victimless crime.

Aggressive driving, reckless driving, major speed infractions (15 mph+ over), etc are far more dangerous and worthy of major penalties.

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