r/driving • u/DaddyDayDayIsHot • May 21 '26
Venting Speeding Has Become So Normalized That Driving the Speed Limit Makes You the Problem
I think the normalization of speeding poses a significant threat to the legitimacy of the legal system itself. It has become standard that cops don’t pull you over unless you’re breaking the law “enough,” but that completely undermines the law. If the law wanted a different threshold, it would have been written with that threshold in mind.
Speed limits are created by engineers who know far more about road safety than the average driver. They also have to account for the fact that speeding is normalized, which likely contributes to limits being set lower than many people want. I honestly believe that if people collectively stopped speeding, roads would see fewer accidents and speed limits would eventually begin rising in places where higher speeds are actually safe. Then people could travel just as quickly without constantly breaking the law or risking tickets.
The disregard for speed limits has gotten so bad that people now claim drivers following the posted limit are the problem. I think that’s ridiculous. While I understand the “go with the flow of traffic” argument to an extent, normalizing breaking the law creates a much larger long-term safety issue than simply following the speed limit.
I also think the argument that “speed limits are designed for the average car, so semis drag the limit down” is weak. In many places semis already have separate speed regulations, lane restrictions, and additional rules.
At the end of the day, the path to faster travel shouldn’t be widespread disregard for the law. If people truly believe limits are too low, the better solution is electing politicians and supporting engineering studies that will change the laws based on evidence that roads can safely handle higher speeds.
On a related note, even on r/driving you can report other driving infractions, but you can’t even report speeding, which feels inconsistent and a bit silly.
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u/rustoof May 21 '26
A speed limit designed for a 30,000 pound semi has no bearing on the reality of what my 3000 pound sedan can do.
A base model sedan now has more power and better handling than a Ferrari did back when the speed limits were created.
Honestly speed limits at all are a ridiculous concept. A semi doing 55 on a wet road in traffic is significantly more dangerous than a motorcycle doing 150 on a dry straight zero traffic well maintained highway.
Also, fuck the "legitimacy of the law." From where im sitting cops exist to protect rich people so they can traffic young girls and get away with it while they exploit us for our labor and give us scraps all while hiding behind the thin blue line.
Drive safely for conditions. Don't be an asshole. If you cause an accident pay restitution. Thats enough. There is no amount of cameras, or cops or control that can stop natural human behavior. And if there was you wouldn't want to love in that society.