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Speed is fun and enjoyment!
Look on the face of a three year old girl driving her
three-wheel bicycle at maximum speed for her. She is enjoying
the speed!
Look on the children and adults riding
the speed games at Tivoli. They enjoy the speed and the
cribbing in the stomach.
Look at the 9 year old boy playing the
"Need to Speed" on the play station. He does enjoy
the speed and the data driving.
Look on the ski downhill runner. The
enjoyment is shining out of the face.
Look on ..... Speed and
enjoyment is found in a number of areas. This is relevant for
most people at all ages.
This enjoyment is stimulated by the car
industry. They are selling speed, fun and enjoyment. In some
cases as sports vehicles. In other cases as normal cars with a
special great motor installed. "Welcome to the amusement
park". This is selling! What is wrong with this?
Do we se any difference between the
mountain climber killed by a falling rock and a car driver
killed by another car speeding for enjoyment? The mountain
climber does risk his own life and are weighing the risk up
against the advantages for him. The careful driver has no
alternative if he wants to use his car from A to B on the
public roads.
Is it ethical to use the vehicle as a
piece of toy on the public roads?
Our leaders have decided on the freedom
To speed, fun and adrenalin with limited control and mild
reactions. As a consequence of this decision the accidents,
the deaths and serious injuries comes as a result. Is this, the
way we want to have our community?
Reduced speed
gives less killed (Bruk Internett ref.)
-
Arild Ragnøy in the Norwegian Road
Authority has evaluated the results of reduced speed limits
introduced in 2001 on the most dangerous roads. (Vegen og
vi, 8/2008)
The speed limits were reduced from 80 to 70 km/hour on 700 km
and from 90 to 80 km/hour on 400 km. The average speed
before and after has been monitored giving a reduction of 3
to 4 km/hour. The number of killed during 6 years was
calculated to 40 %.
-
WHO: A 5 % reduced speed
can reduce the number of fatal craches with as much as 30 %.
-
The exponent model (TØI, report 740/2004)
The higher speed a vehicle has, the
shorter time is available to detect a dangerous situation and
the shorter time is available to correct for the possible
problem. If the result is a crash, the resulting damage
on the humans involved is greater the higher speed due to the
energy involved is proportional with the speed in square.
These are the main reasons for the uniform conclusion that a
small reduced speed reduce the number of killed considerable
more.
A limited reduction in the average speed
is therefore the best single factor for reduced number of
killed on the roads.
The authorities are responsible for
setting the speed limits and for the control of the car speed
on the roads. The technology are available for doing this job.
The only thing lacking is the desire by the responsible
politicians. Reduced travelling time and road enjoyment done
not have to be paid by human lives, if we want this different!
The SafetyShift
in Norway by 2020: Aim: 300
killed and seriously damaged pr. year. Down from 1112.
Every 4 year a 10 plan
for the total transport system (NTP) in Norway is developed.
The proposal for the NTP
for the years 2010-2019 has an aim to reduce the
number of killed and seriously damaged from over 1100 to 800
pr. year over the coming 10 years. At page 165 an
alternative for a reduction to 600 is described. This
alternative implies a strict safety priority for the use of
investment and maintenance funds. Further the control of the
roads and driving is intensified and the funding for the
removing of dangerous spots are increased.
Among the proposals, no
alternative is related to reduced speed. This does mean that
in addition to the reduction of 50 % to 600, another reduction
of 50 % is possible by a general reduction of the speed by
around 10 %. In this case the number of killed and serious
damaged could be around 300 pr. year.
This have to include
that the enforcement of the new speed limits would have to be
intensified by the requirement of black boxes in all cars.
These black boxes would further have to be controlled
regularly by the police.
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