Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Posts: 456
Location: McLean, VA, USA
Posted:
Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:25 pm
Well, there is no such thing as absolutely safe speed. Nope. None. Nada. Even if your speed is zero, you can still be stricken by meteorite, or a mine can burst under your car, or earthquake can strike, or tsunami can come – pick your choice, or add your own one, the result is the same, regardless. There is no such thing as a safe life for that matter - life’s death rate is 100%! With this in mind, we can try to be more realistic with safe speed definition.
I would call the speed safe, if I estimate the probability of bad things happening on that speed being equal to this of zero speed (see above paragraph) or slightly higher. How much higher depends on personal risk aversion. How good is the estimate depends on personal driving knowledge and experience. That means objective safe speed does not exist. What I deem safe can be considered unsafe by you, and vice versa. Worse, our opinions change as we gain more knowledge and experience.
What to do about that? Accept the fact that driving (and life!) is dangerous by nature and live with that. You can and should try to minimize the risk, but you cannot eliminate risk altogether. And the question of safe speed becomes the subject to risk/reward analysis, as many other things in our life.
Misha you are right. Driving is dangerous and have to be dealt carefully. Even though If we are carefull enough to drive safely, its not in our hands that we meet with an accident when other car driver hits us. Its unavoidable case.
Well, there is no such thing as absolutely safe speed. Nope. None. Nada. Even if your speed is zero, you can still be stricken by meteorite, or a mine can burst under your car, or earthquake can strike, or tsunami can come – pick your choice, or add your own one, the result is the same, regardless. There is no such thing as a safe life for that matter - life’s death rate is 100%! With this in mind, we can try to be more realistic with safe speed definition.
I would call the speed safe, if I estimate the probability of bad things happening on that speed being equal to this of zero speed (see above paragraph) or slightly higher. How much higher depends on personal risk aversion. How good is the estimate depends on personal driving knowledge and experience. That means objective safe speed does not exist. What I deem safe can be considered unsafe by you, and vice versa. Worse, our opinions change as we gain more knowledge and experience.
What to do about that? Accept the fact that driving (and life!) is dangerous by nature and live with that. You can and should try to minimize the risk, but you cannot eliminate risk altogether. And the question of safe speed becomes the subject to risk/reward analysis, as many other things in our life.
lol...you know, that's about the best definition of safe speed ever! I actually learnt it word to word and repeated it my hubby the other day we were driving! you should have seen his face! (most impressed, I could tell!). Let's hope the cops have a similar outlook..... !
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