did not claim my judgement was perfect, and I'm well aware that it is not.
"I understand where you're coming from." Actually, I am not sure you do..... "There are plenty of irresponsible drivers out there that speed for fun and simply hope nothing bad will happen." Again...very VERY few....nearly EVERYONE on the road drives at a speed, and in a manner that THEY THINK is safe...that they aren't risking an accident.....and yet....thousands of them have those accidents. The point is...there judgment is imperfect...so is mine...so is yours. THATS why we have traffic laws...to try and get EVERYONE down to the lowest common standard. Yes, ther are times, and conditions where SOME drivers could exceed the speed limit (or traffic light timing...or level crossing passing...take you pick)..BUT NOT EVERYONE. Since it is impractical to have different rules for each individual driver, we have a 'blanket' level. This is set at a level which is a compromise. NOT perfectly safe, and not as high as could be safely used by extremely skilled drivers. But if those drivers who THINK they are extremely skilled insist on breaking those rules, the less skilled see no wrong in doing likewise. And...as it happens, the really skilled drivers tend to be the ones who know just how easily things go wrong, and drive SLOWER than those who only THINK they are skilled.
"But if you're saying that there are never any conditions whatsoever in which it is safe to travel above the stated speed limit, then you need to apply some very basic logic.."
Well, since its not exactly safe to sit in a steel box alongside several litres of highly combustable liquid, as well as a high energy battery, and then proceed to make it MOVE, basic logic agrees with me! However, we, as a society, accept a level of risk as part of the 'advantage' of individual motoring. However, the roads are a public arena, which those who have aquired the necessary licence can use, provided they stick to the agreed rules. Its reasonable to expect EVERYONE to stick to the same rules. How keen would you be to accept someone cheating in any race you are in?
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