The Argument for the Limitation of Speed Limits Essay

Speed is among the major causes of concern with regard to traffic safety. It increases the severity of collisions, pollution, and chaos on the roads. Some of the most fatal collisions we know occur due to over-speeding. Such instances can be curbed by imposing fines on individuals who violate speed limits. Hooting and exhaust emissions are also significantly lower in zones where lower speed limit laws are in effect. Additionally, lower speed limits can help to reduce chaos in cities where congestion is a problem. In order to reach the level of road safety we have always yearned for, we have to reduce the speed limits to an extent where there is a balance between pedestrians and motorists. Some countries such as France have improved road safety considerably simply by implementing low maximum speed limits (Thiessen et al., 2017). In that regard, I feel that limitation of speed limits is a measure that every country and city in the world cannot do without.

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The most important reason for the limitation of speed limits is the ecological impact of over-speeding (Thiessen et al., 2017). When vehicles are being driven faster, there are more instances of acceleration, deceleration, and emergency braking. The high-speed driving means that the driver will have to accelerate faster after stops. Accelerating to very high speeds in a very short time leads to higher exhaust emissions because more fuel is combusted. Deceleration and emergency breaking after high-speed driving also consumes significantly more fuel. Slower driving leads to fewer exhaust emissions in a given area. Also, the amount of dust that rises from the roads will be significantly less. Also, lower speed limits reduce noise pollution. Cities, where lower speed limits have been implemented successfully, have vehicles driving without unnecessary hooting. Hooting is known to scare younger children and may cause panic at times. The slower driving means that the vehicles will produce less noise on the roads. Speed limits have been reduced considerably in countries such as Germany and France leading to more orderly driving. Therefore, the negative impacts on the environment reduce when speed limits are limited considerably.

There are fewer instances of collision when the maximum speed limit is lower (Goniewicz et al., 2016). In most instances, not all drivers on the roads are experienced enough to cope with the challenges of high-speed driving. When such drivers find themselves in such chaos, some of them cannot make decisions fast enough. These drivers are more likely to cause accidents when driving in cities where speed limits have not been embraced. When accidents occur due to high-speed driving, there is very little chance of survival. Some of the cities with very high-speed driving in the United States include Louisville, Kansas, and Oklahoma. These cities have recorded some of the most fatal accidents we have known. The survivors of high-speed collisions end up with broken bones and permanent paralysis if they are lucky enough to survive. Cities that have implemented low maximum speed limits have reduced cases of collisions considerably. Countries such as Ecuador and Egypt have limited their speeds to approximately 80 hence reducing instances of collisions since the implementation of such laws started. Therefore, it is evident that lower speeds reduce collisions significantly.

It is also important to reduce speed limits because of limited road space (Goniewicz et al., 2016). As the population grows in most cities in the world, more people buy cars and the road space reduces. This means that there will be increased congestion on the roads of most cities. New York is among the most congested cities in the world. It has a speed limit goes as low as 30 mph in zones where schools are located. The New York code for safe driving states that "a person shall not drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing" (Sager, 2016). There are penalties for violations of these laws. In such cities, it is only prudent to implement low maximum speed limits. This would create order by allowing people and cars to coexist hence there will be a smooth running of activities. Therefore, low-speed limits are important where there is limited road space.

Conclusion

Overall, it is clear that the limitation of speed limits is necessary to maintain balance in the roads. Extremely high speeds have a negative impact on the ecological environment. The amount of exhaust is higher when vehicles have to accelerate to high speeds within a very short time. Deceleration from high speeds also leads to higher amounts of exhaust released into the environment. Additionally, hooting from speeding vehicles creates unnecessary noise pollution. In cities where congestion is a problem, it is only prudent to enact laws for low maximum speed limits. This will create a peaceful coexistence between motorists and pedestrians. Cities that tolerate high speeds experience the most fatal accidents. This is because over-speeding provides little time for drivers to make the correct decisions on the road. Low maximum speed limits can be the solution to this menace. In the future, more roads should have speed limits depending on the level of traffic on those roads.

References

Goniewicz, K., Goniewicz, M., Pawlowski, W., & Fiedor, P. (2016). Road accident rates: strategies and programmes for improving road traffic safety. European journal of trauma and emergency surgery, 42(4), 433-438.

Sager, T. (2016). Automobility and the driving force of warfare: From public safety to national security. The ethics of mobilities (pp. 55-80). Routledge.

Thiessen, A., El-Basyouny, K., & Gargoum, S. (2017). Operating Speed Models for Tangent Segments on Urban Roads. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2618), 91-99.