Safe Speeding - Is There Such A Thing?

[No Crust Racing]

I was having a "robust" discussion" with my partner last night about the intended usage of my soon to be tuned 34.

Given the cars value, fresh paint, and the risk of cosmetic and mechanical damage, I have no intention of heavily tracking the car (I have a dedicated track car for that).

I fully admit that whilst I'm now respectful of the road rules and a law abiding citizen (I was once neither of those things when it came to cars and almost lost my license) I do intend to occasionally, and where safe to do so, pin the throttle to the firewall for the odd highway on ramp blast.

My comment was, there are instances where road conditions, road choice, lack of traffic, time of day etc can allow for "safe speeding" or at the very least safe WOT acceleration to a safe and legal speed.

My point being there's little if any more risk than when I'm at the track (granted I have a roll cage/ firesuit etc, but I'm also going much faster and driving a lot harder).

Her concern, and completely valid, is that even when removing the risk of hurting someone else (something I am passionate about when I tell people to take it to the track) should something go wrong, there's a much higher likelihood of serious injury (trees, culverts, drains etc) than at a race track.

So, what do you think/ Is there such a thing as "safe" speeding/rapid acceleration. OR is that something we just tell ourselves exists because we haven't crashed/been caught "yet"?

To give some context, I'm 33, have owned a number of performance cars, almost lost my license once, haven't had a speeding fine in almost a decade now.

Adding your age might be useful in adding some perspective to your view.

[Sklyn]

The terms 'speeding' and 'rapid acceleration' are very difficult as they are dependent on perspective.

Grandma that take a minute to get from 0-60km has a different view as say us, or any variant in between.

Does 'speeding' mean going over the posted limit? or some other interpretation.

If the circumstance you mention, time/conditions/traffic/vision/etc all provide a safer environment (than peak hour traffic in the rain), then yes it is safer to do so.

Is driving ever 'safe' at all? is another question........ depends on opinion and perspective.

Now, assuming you have the ability then it should be safe to accelerate fast, also assuming your not dumping the clutch and doing fishies, etc which is not in discussion here. yet....

That sort of 'reckless' (for lack of a better word) increases the risk greatly. But simply making the car do the same thing at a faster pace and changing gears later is hardly dangerous in my opinion.

I'm 38.

[No Crust Racing]

That's the type of thing I'm talking about.

Right time, right conditions, throttle pinned, back off at the lgal highway speed, drop into 6th and smile.

Not clutch kicks, traffic light grand prix and hectikly dosing pedestrians.

[Nismo 3.2ish]

I know it is wrong but I know some people do this.

On country roads where you can see in both directions and NO one is is in your vision front or back they tend to have a few runs and while revving their foot can slip off the clutch and create a launch situation.

This is as safe as it gets on the road , but you should not do it and should never be done where there are people or other cars around, that is called ,showing off, so I believe.

I am 73

[niZmO_Man]

I'm 28

In the Netherlands, people drive past the cops on the freeway (130 km/h limit). Some areas are strict though (I got fined for 10 over hahaha I was in a group of 5-6 cars travelling the same speed).

Of course up there, the amount of cars is a lot less and the amount of hoons is far far less (I saw none).

On my P's, I had an R31. I used to do some "testing the LSD" by trying to launch it, but a 25 year old RB30E can get the car hustling. I've taken a few corners faster than the posted signs, but was always alone on the road.

But the most fun and skills gained was on track days.

The amount of "hooning" in Aus seems to be quite large and subsequent "campaigns" by media outlets and people's mindsets have created the situation in our country.

[zoomzoom]

The numbers painted on speed limit sign create a magic field which neatly encompasses the area of the road. The speed limit fairy then decides whether to kill you if you go over that number.

[PranK]

This is a good topic and one that I enjoy discussing with people.

I am all for the blip here and there when conditions permit. Conditions being;

• Good weather


• late at night


• good visibility


• well lit


• No other motorists / pedestrians

But, that said, theres always the unknown on a public road, a well obscured pot hole, some numpty in the bush having a piss.

Its critical to have good knowledge of your own ability and the ability of your car and not exceeding either. This is where having a late night squirt comes undone for people, they go too hard or their ego takes over.

I don't believe "driving" is a blanket ability for people. Restricting good, self-aware drivers to the same rules and regulations as the elderly with their poor driving history (and their learning to drive in very different circumstances) or as the 21 year old in a car with too much gumption and a back seat full of buddies.

Driving and driving ability is not blanket - it shouldn't be applied to everybody evenly.

At the end of the day, dudes with quick cars who take a calculated risk are seen by the public and the law as one-and-the-same as Petey P-Plater in his "hoon vehicle" - there is no difference. Unfortunately, when mr Calculated Risk gets caught, it plays right into the hands of the anti-hoon movement and the police attitude towards car lovers.

But, to address the initial question - Yes, I believe there is 'safe speeding'. But, I don't believe everybody is clever enough to determine, for themselves, the best time to speed safely.

[Kinkstaah]

There's really no "safe" speeding.

There is however, as mentioned above "safer" speeding.

You mitigate your own risks through knowledge of your own ability, and mitigate risks for others down to zero.

[warps]

The problem is that people in general aren't very good at honestly identifying, classifying or mitigating risk. Hence the somewhat arbitrary speed limits.

I totally agree that there are times where exceeding posted limits, or accelerating fairly quickly do not significantly increase the risk of harm. However I wouldn't trust 90%of the population to recognise those situations and regulate themselves accordingly if there were no limits to adhere to.

[PranK]

The problem is that people in general aren't very good at honestly identifying, classifying or mitigating risk.

Nor are they good at judging their own ability and the ability of their car.

[Greekos]

the whole no safe speeding thing is a load of bullshit, what is needed is more driver training its simple as that, its far too easy to get a license in Australia, the majority are poor drivers that made bad choices like drive when tried, not leave enough space, don't head check, don't give cars a basic safety check before driving ect, I know i'v definitely made some bad choices like I mentioned we all have, its simple if you want to road test your car do it by yourself somewhere where there is no one else that can be endangered and if you get caught cop it on the chin or do a track day and go in the slow/beginner group

[KiwiRS4T]

Don't be such a wuss. Take your shiny R34 to the track. Everyone is going the same way and there should be few surprises. You can spot the idiots and keep out of their way. Go to the tracks that have decent runoffs.

There is no "safe" speeding - depending on your definition of speeding. There are just degrees of risk. If you have a catastrophic failure somewhere north of 200km/hr you have a better chance of surviving it on the track. On the road there are random people, farmers backing trucks out on to a road who are not expecting vehicles to be arriving at 280km/hr (I have mates who regularly exceed 250 km/hr on their big bikes - no one I know has died but others do), there are lamp posts, patches of bad road surfaces etc etc.

Obviously there are places where risks are relatively low... an empty motorway in the wee small hours, back country roads at night etc. and speed limits are not magic numbers but the faster you go the less options you have.

Apart from promoting track days as a way of getting your speed thrills I am not telling anyone how fast they should drive but I am asking you to think carefully about your driving.

And don't drink and drive! Following my own advice (and for everyone there is also an element of pure luck) I have stayed alive for 67 years.

[hardsteppa]

if you take the viewpoint "it's unsafe to speed" ('speeding' being over the often inappropriate limit posted by Govmnt)then the opposite to that would be, to go under the speed limit is 'safe'...which is blatantly untrue, being dependent on so many variables, eg driver concentration...do they then lapse into slumber mode or are they more worried about changing the radio station that paying attention to the road, etc.

[Nismo 3.2ish]

Speed Kills

Drunk driving KILLS

Tired driving Kills

Dick Head driving kills

People that should not be driving, kills

Thinking you are a great driver kills

Slow drivers kill fast impatient drivers and whoever else gets in the way

You could be one or all or any of the above , it kills, if you are lucky it only kills you

There are no real accidents , someone is always at fault in some way.

[Anfanee]

if you take the viewpoint "it's unsafe to speed" ('speeding' being over the often inappropriate limit posted by Govmnt)then the opposite to that would be, to go under the speed limit is 'safe'...which is blatantly untrue, being dependent on so many variables, eg driver concentration...do they then lapse into slumber mode or are they more worried about changing the radio station that paying attention to the road, etc.

To be fair the Limit is posted as the limit. If it is not safe to do so you don't do the limit (or if you don't feel comfortable with the limit for some reason). If it's 110km/h you won't be doing 110km/h if it is pissing down with rain. If you are towing a caravan doing 110km/h isn't ideal..... Not to mention slower speeds, you have more time to react and fix if something does go wrong. So the term going under the speed is "safe" isn't correct that is true, but it effectively does lower the risk of something happening.

TBH accelerating up to the speed limit, if you get no wheel spin is 100% legal. A cop could try to get you for reckless driving but goodluck with that.

There is a reason speed limits are posted. Have you ever seen what happens to a car when a red kangaroo hits it at over 100km/h? Or you blow a tyre? Or the tests showing you the difference in speed makes to stopping difference. So like i said. There is a reason for the speed limits they have set.

Now in saying that...

Those limits were decided many a time ago, cars are much safer now. They come from back in the day when there was no seatbelts. So are they outdated? Yes they are.

I do think our speed limits need looking at. IMO all 110km/h "freeways" there is no reason for them not to be 130km/h. There are many studies on this.

Also im one of the younger ones. 24.

[Nismo 3.2ish]

The cars I used to drive were dangerous at legal speed, we could drive as fast as you thought was safe on most country roads if you considered you were in full control of the car, LOL

These old cars were heaps of shit compared to the cars of today. Most would not do over 80MPH and took longer to stop than a ship. They would flip over any time when pushed past the roll stage.

I drive down the highway to Sydney going up and down from 110-100-80-100-80-70-110 etc and if you miss a sign, you are in the shit!

I drive off my GPS on the Highway, speedo on City roads, no showing off and judgement on empty country roads

[niZmO_Man]

Shit drivers, shit roads, shit cars. Those are the reasons we don't go faster than 110 km/h.

Best thing to do is remove the human factor, then we all will be safe doing whatever speeds are spec'd (self driving vehicles, dedicated roads).

[jiffo]

The wrong era to even consider such a discussion, those days have long gone even in the NT.

Aged 65.

[XGTRX]

I do a lot of driving through the mountains as a form of meditation

Usually 80-100km/hr limits however there are obviously many 'recommended' speed signs so legally you can go at 100 km/hrs even though the recommended sign says 30.

So is it safe to go through a corner with a recommended speed of 20 at 100km/hr?

Answer is, it depends

My Gtr does it easy with me driving; a 1990 corolla in bad shape would be off the cliff.

Moral of the story is........ it is legal but not safe.

Too many variables.

A good driver who knows the limits of himself and his car going 10km/hr over will always be safer the 80% of the drivers on the road doing 10km/hr under the limit.

Edited February 5, 2016 by XGTRX

[luke gtr]

I believe there can be safe speed.

Craig Lowndes in a new falcon ore doing 62 in a posted 60 zone I dare say would be safe than soccer mum in a 90s suv on 60.

He is still speeding.

As stated, I think our limits are in need of review.

I travel to work every day on a stretch or road that goes through 2 small towns.

The towns have always had a posted limit of 60, which is fair enough.

The 3 sections outside of the towns, used to be 100.

I can literally remember driving on them when 2 sections were still 100.(I owned a hq at the time)

Now, they're all 80.

I suspect it was due to being cheaper to replace signs than resurface the road.

The road has since been resurfaced, cars can handle better, stop better and are safer, yet the speed limit remains.

You can comfortably sit at 100 along these roads, but not allowed anymore.

In regards to approaching the limit, I don't remember anywhere there being literature on maximum acceleration, and I do this quite frequently.

One last note....

Yes, we should do track days.

But a few have closed and are gone forever.

People complain about the noise (the same people who are the first to say take it off the streets).

I don't understand why the tracks aren't better backed(government) to help get speeding of the streets.

Go to eastern creek, can't race with friends in the car, friends are half the reason youth do this stuff on the streets.

Give them somewhere to show off and show their fronds what their car can do.