It's Time to Abolish Speed Limits
It is 8:45 and Paul has just gotten on the interstate to make his normal commute to Longview from Tyler. About halfway there, Paul notices a state trooper right behind him. He frantically checks his speed! Too late!!!!!! The state trooper turns on his lights. Not only was Paul speeding, but now he will be late to a very important meeting at work.
The problem here is that Paul was just driving to work. He was not intentionally speeding just to get away with it. Neither was he driving reckless. He was just carrying on with his life. Every day people go through this very scenario. They are ticketed for driving safely although faster than the speed limit, and minding their own business. The freeways should be a place that people can move about more freely and quickly. The government needs to raise the speed limits on the interstates outside city limits so that people can go about their lives at a more productive pace. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “ …motorists have ignored unreasonable speed limits.”(Effects of Raising and Lowering the Speed Limits pg.3) The problem is inevitable; it is human nature to want to push the limits given, and when they are unreasonable to start with why should people follow them? Another issue at hand is also time people spend traveling. Being late to everything is uncouth. Every day people get fired or lose their jobs due to being late. Yes, it is their responsibility to plan ahead, but there are always those days when something is forgotten. If everyone could go the speed limit they like, then we would not have as many late persons running about.
This issue, as we can see, affects millions of people. On the other hand, having a set speed l...
... middle of paper ...
...bit faster than normal. What should drivers do? Well, there is something we can do that would allow for us to be able to raise the speed limits. We can write to our local representatives and let them know the need for raising the speed limits. Provide good research and valuable information that will help them to make the best possible decision. Of course, we must obey the law until the speed limits are changed. God has commanded us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Bible) This was used not only in the aspect of money but also in the aspect of all of Caesar’s laws. The urge is very real to want to break the law, but think about others before yourself. According to Terry Turner we need to think of the why before the how. Basically ask yourself, why do I need to speed? Then after careful consideration of all factors, decide how fast to drive your automobile.
1
Speeding is the third most common factor in vehicle accidents in the US, costing 13,000 lives a year. Some of the reasons behind speeding include: driver's being in a rush, the need for adrenaline, and their belief that they won't get caught, or that laws don't apply to them. Speeding not only shortens your reaction time, but also your control of the vehicle as the faster the vehicle goes the more any sudden movements can affect it causing to flip or slide into another car, which may cause a fatality, maybe not to yourself but to
Rampersad, Arnold. The Life of Langston Hughes. Volume 1: 1902-1941. Oxford University Press, New York, 1986.
People do not believe that the government is knowingly implementing speed limits that are below a safe speed for a given roadway. It is true that the government claims to set speed limits that are for the public well being. As the United States Department of Transportation puts it, "Speed limits are appropriate speeds based on the traffic of an area, road conditions, weather, and the lighting" (The Star Ledger). But the fact of the matter is that their arguments have no factual basis. Suppose the government is really setting speed limits that are safe. If this were true, speed limits would change constantly. If the roadway were wet, if the traffic is thick, or the visibility is bad at a certain point in time then the speed limit would have to change continuously. But, the government can't be on the highway twenty-four hours of the day changing signs. If the government wants to set a safe speed standard then it must be much more realistic. A driver knows their ability as well as their vehicles ability under diverse conditions. If the government tries to tell society that the faster speeds they are traveling is harmful; people will not feel that the government is looking out for their safety. They will instead feel as if though they were being treated as children. Therefor the speed limit on highways should be increased, and individuals should be allowed to drive at a safe "high" speed without being held back by an unrealistic law.
“Have you ever noticed how anyone going slower than you is an idiot, and everyone going faster than you is a maniac?” George Carlin once, jokingly asked. However, this is not the case for drivers on the famous highway systems in Germany. When you drive in Germany you can be“idiot” in the government’s eyes if you go too slowly, drive in the wrong lane or impede the flow of traffic. This distinction is not unique in Germany but is applicable on their federal highway system, aptly named the Autobahn. Rules regarding how anyone driving on the autobahn state that a driver must go a certain speed, or that driver becomes a public safety hazard, much like that of speeders in America. Many foreigners only hear how the autobahn has no speed limit and that is not necessarily true. There are in fact many areas that are speed limited and strictly enforced by the polizei and speed cameras integrated into the guard rail or surroundings. German drivers receive up to two years of very expensive and intensive training before driving within the country. In my opinion, I believe there should be an Autobahn-like system in America because it teaches future generations not only maturity, but also discipline and responsibility.
Some would say that speed limits are not adequate, or certain laws should be changed. Reports have shown that the majority of Americans have no problem with speed limits or the laws; new drivers are not helping either. There are key things that are liable for joining or causing road rage. For example; loud music, honking the horn, tailgating, and changing lanes without signaling all have been known to increase tension while driving. The actual causes can be traced back to different forms of stress. Such as being called into the boss' office for discussion of work performance, making bad grades in school, or having just been dumped by your girlfriend/boyfriend. Road rage is a result of an outburst of all the stress in ones life. Cars are a status symbol in our time. Nice cars give others the impression that the driver has money. Fast or flashy cars give an impression
Rampersad, Arnold. "Hughes, Langston (1902–1967)." African American Writers. Ed. Valerie Smith. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. 367-78. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. .
Hill, Christine M. Langston Hughes: Poet of the Harlem Renaissance. Springfield, NJ, USA: Enslow, 1997. Print.
Hughes, Langston. “Harlem.” Literature for Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto and William E. Cain.10th ed. New York: Pearson, 2014. 136. Print. 8 Apr. 2014.
The concept of gender in relation to the division of labor in the workplace, and in relation to issues of power and control is an unfortunate, groundless stereotype. Suzanne Tallichet notes that the gendered division of workplace labor is rooted in flawed ideology of innate sex differences in traits and abilities, and operates through various control mechanisms. (Tallichet 1995: 698) These control mechanisms are primarily exercised by men over women and serve to exaggerate differences between the sexes, especially surrounding women’s presumed incapability for doing male identified work.
There is one practice that really irritates me during my morning commute to work in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, are the drivers who are in the “fast lane” without keeping pace with the other cars sharing the lane, and who are also failing to yield to a faster driver and allowing them to pass. The passing lane is commonly referred to as a "fast lane" because it is often used for extended periods of time for through traffic or faster traffic. In theory, a passing lane should only be used for passing, thus allowing, drivers to travel at their own pace. There are three important reasons why I believe law enforcement should spend more time ticketing drivers that impede traffic flow instead of ticketing the ones exceeding the speed if conditions warrant because the people going slow are the one’s causing the root problem and the people being erratic trying to get around are only responding to the improper use of the passing lane, making them victims and not perpetrators.
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." [1951] Literature. 5th ed. Eds. James H. Pickering and Jeffery D. Hoeper. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1027-28.
First of all it is obvious that a motorist driving over the speed limit has more chances of getting into an accident that a motorist who is traveling at the average speed. One who drives fast does not have proper and that well of a control on the vehicle as one that is moving at a safe speed or at the speed limit mark. It is true that traveling above the speed limit will save time and time is money but is it really worth it. Speed over the limit is a major factor in about two to five percent of fatalities. When driving over the limit it is hard to determine the other drivers speed, this is called the speed variance and this can cause an accident while overtaking the other vehicle or simply changing lanes because the other driver could be speeding up as well, at the same time as you are changing lanes that would result in an accident.
Imagine driving on I-75 as cars race by you at a blink of an eye. You are driving 60 miles per hour, the speed limit; they must be doing 100 miles per hour or more. This is not an illusion; this is the reality of driving on a highway. Believe it, it happens everyday. Cars race down the road at uncontrollable speeds that cause tickets, accidents, and sadly death. Speed limits are a must for traffic control, for safety in neighborhoods and for avoidance of collisions.
Society has gender specific roles expected for women and men. Women are limited to the traditional roles of cleaning, cooking, and taking care of children. Patriarchal society, in which men rule, imposes these roles on women (Harrison, 302). Men run institutions and make the laws. In fact, social institutions have an impact on the relationship between labor and gender. Different types of jobs are associated with both genders. Society sees women as caring and emotional. Therefore, expects that women will choose careers such as nurses, teachers, or flight attendants. When it comes to men, society sees them as powerful and without emotion, associates them with power and authority, and expects them to be lawyers, doctors, or chief executive officers. This is a source of inequality because these different associations to jobs generate income differences. Men produce more money than women do because there are fewer women engaging in politics or business careers. Women are not socially expected to perform these jobs: “While women represent 50 per cent of the world population, they perform nearly two thirds of all working hours, receive one-tenth of world income and own less than 1 per cent of world property” (Harrison, 296). Women are as smart as men are, yet they do not have the opportunities to prove that. From a radical theory
...s to make traffic more efficient. For example, the Ohio Revised Code in section 4511.21 states clearly that "No person shall operate a motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or a street car at a speed greater than reasonable or proper due regard to the traffic." Road speed limits are used to regulate the speed of vehicles. Sometimes people try to get somewhere and they go over the speed limit not realizing that they are putting themselves in danger. Now every time I get in a car with a friend or a family member, I make sure that they are going by the speed limit, not texting and paying attention on the road. It is very important that we follow this rules because they are only protecting us, and keeping us safe. If we want to reduce the millions of deaths that are caused by this imprudence every year we need to start being more responsible when we get behind the wheel.