<p>I open this one because I don’t want to hijack the thread about DUI.</p>
<p>Which of the following reckless drivings poses more danger to the public?</p>
<ol>
<li>Over speed limit</li>
<li>Phone and text</li>
<li>DUI</li>
<li>Mental incapabality: sleepiness, tiredness,…</li>
</ol>
<p>They are not exclusionary.
Someone could be tired/texting, and from what Ive seen those who are in accidents that involve substances, * also * involve speeding &/or failure to observe other traffic laws.
( failure to yield/stop etc)</p>
<p>Statistically, alcohol is involved in ~40% of fatal crashes, more than any other category. </p>
<p>So, IMO, DUI. </p>
<p>Yes, I know there are studies that say texting is 6x more dangerous than DUI. The difference (to me) is that you can put down a phone whereas you can’t just magically sober up.</p>
<p>In the last two days, I have had FOUR cars swerve into my lane on the highway, nearly hitting me. All four of them were messing with their phones and never even knew there had been a near-incident, so they couldn’t even learn from their mistakes. It’s really infuriating, not to mention so dangerous.</p>
<p>They were so engrossed with their phones that I couldn’t even give them my “I hate you” look as I passed by them. The nerve.</p>
<p>“you can put down a phone” - the problem is that too many people won’t. And they do it every time they drive, every day, regardless of the law.</p>
<p>I’ll answer based on opinion, not stats or cited studies:</p>
<h1>2 the most dangerous, 3 and 4 tied, then speeding the least of the 4</h1>
<p>^^^^Yeah, over the speed limit doesn’t even necessarily being reckless. If I see someone coming up on me going very fast, I usually can get over to let them by. Those folks are usually in the fast lane to begin with, and I don’t use that lane unless I need to pass someone. So for me personally, I’m more afraid of #2, #3, and #4 than I am someone going “over the speed limit.”</p>
<p>Based on the damage my son got yesterday after being rear ended, I’ll say phones. He was at a red light and the guy never slowed. Other driver said he was watching a guy merging, but most of us can watch someone merge and also realize its a red light, so I don’t believe him. Based on his speed, He had to be on the phone (IMO). Trunk is smashed, bumper very smashed, rear fender bent, even the trunk wall behind the bumper is bent in. Son saw him coming fast and knew he wasn’t stopping, but son had car in front. Son is fine. Damage looks to be over 3k. Other guy not drunk, so my mind leaps to phone. No matter, i just hope he has insurance.</p>
<p>Poor son, last July he crashed the front (his fault but not on phone, just didn’t look carefully) </p>
<p>His friend crashed this year while texting.</p>
<p>I don’t think this can be nailed down since they all pose a threat but there are degrees to all of the ones you mention.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>DUI - This is one of the highest threats since the ‘degree’ I mentioned above is already high in order to qualify as a DUI - i.e. one is already over .08.</p></li>
<li><p>Mental incapability - If one falls asleep at the wheel it’s just as bad as being blotto drunk with the exception that some people will detect they’re getting tired and pull of and rest (long trip) and the tiredness isn’t usually much of a factor in the shorter in-city drives because there’s enough stimulus to keep one awake and more alert.</p></li>
<li><p>Texting/phone - A big problem because people aren’t paying attention. Whatever ‘they’ are texting and discussing on the phone is vastly more important than what every other driver on the road is doing and therefore the onus if on the other drivers to compensate for ‘them’ due to their self-importance with their phone. You can tell this is a big one with me - none of these calls are more important than driving properly which includes not holding a phone to the ear. I almost made a gender specific statement here but in an effort to be politically correct I didn’t.</p></li>
<li><p>Speeding - I think generally this is the lowest risk factor but it’s also relative. When driving on the freeway and almost everyone is driving 5-10 mph over the limit - no problem at all. But the other day I was driving down the freeway and someone shot past me going well over 100mph - very dangerous due to the relative speeds. Driving over 100mph on an autobahn in Germany is fine (and fun - I’ve done it a bunch of times) but it’s expected and not out of the norm so it’s not generally a problem. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>The term ‘generally’ applies in all of the above except for the DUI which is already by definition over the threshold.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with that. The guys who are going very fast relative to the general flow of traffic are more dangerous even if they aren’t even going over the speed limit. A month ago, a motorcyclist raced by me so fast I never even saw him coming from behind. The sound was so loud and sudden, it startled the *&#@% out me. Those kinds of guys could cause a wreck just because there is no time to react properly, especially if you never even saw them coming.</p>
<p>
Florida just passed a secondary law that allows police officers to ticket drivers who are texting while drive. I believe that makes it the 40th or so state to pass a law against texting/being on your phone. I hope it isn’t upgraded allowing them to pull you get because you were texting or on your phone.</p>
<p><a href=“http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texting-while-driving-illegal-starting-today/nbB54/[/url]”>http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texting-while-driving-illegal-starting-today/nbB54/</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I absolutely think they should be able to. Maybe my opinion is swayed because I grew up in a state that made even talking without handsfree against the law around the time I learned to drive, but I texting and driving is really unsafe. This would be a way to stop people from doing it.</p>
<p>I agree with speeding being the least. In many cases, it’s safer. If you’re the one person actually going as low as the speed limit, you’re more in danger than if you keep up with traffic.</p>
<p>Yeah, speeding is definitely relative. I don’t think doing 30 over in a 70 (in Michigan) is such a big deal but 30 over in a 25 certainly is. Additionally, I think sticking to the speed limits where they are known to be unreasonably low and not followed is more dangerous than just driving the speed people drive on them. Speed limits aren’t about safety, they’re about striking a balance between ticket revenue and keeping people from protesting extremely unreasonable speed limits. </p>
<p>Speeding depends on the state though. In Michigan it’s considered pretty obnoxious to drive 70 on the freeway unless you’re in the far right lane. Where I interned, people seem to act like going over 70 is some sort of grave crime. </p>
<p>Obviously all of those other things are bad though.</p>
<p>@erieann Yes, it is unsafe. I’m just used to not having restricted access to my phone while I’m driving. I still hope it isn’t upgraded. </p>
<p>
This is true. I’ve seen drivers who are going slower than the flow of traffic and they’re essentially being ridden upon and increase their chances of getting rear-ended or side swiped.</p>
<p>
I think that’s a bit extreme. Speed limits are about safety I an extent. I remember this one time on a small road the speed limit was 15. An unreasonably low speed, right? I go in on the curve at 20 and after the first turn I have to brake just to make it. Speed limit are also affected by the surrounding environment (residential and the like). I know some highways are 55 MPH. Sure you can go faster but you’re cutting through neighborhoods. The speed has to be lower. Why? Sound is one reason? Safety is another.</p>
<p>True, vlad. I was thinking of main streets & freeways. Not much “traffic” in a subdivision ;)</p>
<p>Vlad, you’re not from Ohio by chance are you? I know when I hit that border that I better go the speedlimit or I WILL be ticketed, but yes, in MI you must keep up with traffic… which is generally at least 10 MPH over the limit on the freeway.</p>
<p>The worst scenario is a driver doing all 4 of those things at same time while driving fleeing police in a pursuit with gunfire being exchanged between them too. We get a lot of those in Florida.</p>
<p>
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<p>I think you missed what I meant. The speed limit isn’t set to be the max safe speed. It’s set to be something that people will not protest but people will exceed frequently enough to help generate ticket revenue. It’s not that they take the max safe speed and then subtract some amount and make that the speed limit or something, it’s just not really measured. There are roads where it happens to be that the max safe speed is the speed limit. There are other roads where the max safe speed is far higher than the speed limit. Pretty compelling evidence for this, often speed limits are raised when enough people complain. People complaining doesn’t make the road safer to go faster, but the government appeases the people by raising the speed limit.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why would you think that? No, I’m from Michigan. I don’t want to say where I interned but it’s another state in the Midwest.</p>
<p>I drive 5-10 miles over speed limit. However I always avoid tailgating.</p>
<p>I drive about 10 miles over the speed limit in areas I’m familiar with. I generally only tailgate on highways.</p>