Why is 40mph in a 30mph zone dangerous when??

[Fat Audi 80]

This has been bugging me for a while:
Now while I don't condone speeding in a 30mph zone (and generally stick to 30mph myself), consider this: If you have a performance car that has a stopping distance far lower than an old 1960's car that was being driven when the 30mph limit was first imposed, why is it considered dangerous and anti social to do 40mph when you can stop in the same distance or less than the old car did doing 30mph?

[mechsympathy]

Because in the same time they've stopped teaching kids the green cross code (and the rest of the population has had a common sense bypass) so you're still more likely to hit something.

[whatever]

Your "thinking distance", at 40mph, is still as long as it was forty years ago.

It's possible to have an accident where you never even reached the brake pedal.

[mondeoman]

whatever said:

Your "thinking distance", at 40mph, is still as long as it was forty years ago. It's possible to have an accident where you never even reached the brake pedal.

In which case you're gonna have the accidnet no matter what speed you're doing - falacious argument methinks

[onedsla]

I think the reason is that traffic conditions have changed lots since the highway code came out - cars may stop quickly, but there are lots more of them on the road.

[plotloss]

mondeoman said:

whatever said: Your "thinking distance", at 40mph, is still as long as it was forty years ago. It's possible to have an accident where you never even reached the brake pedal. In which case you're gonna have the accidnet no matter what speed you're doing - falacious argument methinks

Not really...

The faster you are going the more energy there is to dissapate. If you are in a 30 zone then the chances are that there are more potential hazards that get in the way of that energy dissapation.

[mechsympathy]

mondeoman said:

whatever said: Your "thinking distance", at 40mph, is still as long as it was forty years ago. It's possible to have an accident where you never even reached the brake pedal. In which case you're gonna have the accidnet no matter what speed you're doing - falacious argument methinks

But injuries will be worse at 40mph, especially for a pedestrian.

[regmolehusband]

Never mind older cars and things - why are buses and lorries also subject to the same 30 and 40 speed limits when their stopping distances are vastly longer than any car??!

[Mr Peevly]

It's not a question of 40mph being 'dangerous' but of it being more likely that you will injure, maim or kill other road users at 40mph than you will at 30mph.

How ever slow we drive there will still be accidents - but I'd rather a car doing 5mph hit my child than one doing 100mph.

[fast westfield]

30mph and 20mph zones are supposed to be high risk areas or revenue areas if lowered for this reason.

Paul.

[rich-uk]

Mr Peevly said:

How ever slow we drive there will still be accidents - but I'd rather a car doing 5mph hit my child than one doing 100mph.

I'd rather your child had some common sence and didn't put itself in danger in the first place

[Fat Audi 80]

Personally I try and stick to 30 anyway, and even go 20 in a 30 zone if it seems particularly risky. That said if I am in one of the stupid new out of town (village!)30's where it used to be a 40 or even a 50 limit then I will use my common sense, road awareness and relatively high performance car to break the speed limit a little.

At the end of the day the speed limit has to allow for the lowest common denominator of Numpty so they will continue to get lower and lower....

[gro]

Unfortunately the problem is made worse by modern & high performance cars. We are so used to being comfortable travelling at 80 & 90+mph, that 30 or 40mph feels almost like a crawl. Yet the amount of damage you can do even at these speeds is frightening, nearly wrote off my old Golf, when someone jumped a red light. Neither of us were doing more than 30mph, but equally no time to brake either.

[Mr Peevly]

rich-uk said:

I'd rather your child had some common sence and didn't put itself in danger in the first place

As much common sense as your spelling ability?
It was a figure of speech. But common sense is not something that kids generally get high marks in - so It's down to us adults to look out for them in built-up areas and drive accordingly

[whatever]

rich-uk said:

Mr Peevly said: How ever slow we drive there will still be accidents - but I'd rather a car doing 5mph hit my child than one doing 100mph. I'd rather your child had some common sence and didn't put itself in danger in the first place

That's a good point, but children being what they are, eventually a mistake is going to happen. It'd be a pity (to put it mildly) if the mistake happened to be punishable by death rather than a "merely" serious injury. After all, I'm sure we can all think of some "proper" crimes which deserve the former...