If Speed is the Problem, You aint Doing it Right

“Speed kills” 

That’s what they tell us - but is anything really that simplistic? Personally, I would say it’s never as black and white as we are expected to accept.

Much of the rhetoric we hear around this in media (and from the state) is ‘statistical’ or ‘emotive’ in it’s origin and for both of those reasons, isn’t really of value when making a decision on what is a safe speed as opposed to a dangerous speed. Statistics are very easy to manipulate to create evidence to support a pre-determined argument and when mixed with triggering language it can often be useless to evaluate a genuine risk. When speed is reported as a risk, it is often caveated with terms like ‘speed was a factor’ which is really a bit of an oxymoron. If the drivers of all road accidents were stationary at the time, the risk of serious injury or death would be almost entirely removed. 

Speed in fact, is and should always be a situational decision when it comes to road safety. If I am driving a fully ladened truck with no brakes at 65 kmph  past a school bus parked on the side of the road, then I accept that speed is indeed a factor elevating the unreasonable risk of injury or accident to myself or others. If I am however, riding a motorbike down a straight road at 130 kmph to overtake other road users travelling at 85 kmph, my elevated speed is creating no real risk to anyone other than myself. The speed I utilise in a passing manoeuvre in fact is reducing my risk by reducing the time I spend in a vulnerable position while completing the overtaking operation. The less time I spend on the other side of a painted white line can ironically reduce my personal risk of death and injury. If speed can reduce the time I am at risk, you can be damn sure that an arbitrary rule restricting my speed is not going to stop me. 

When police and Government campaigns often actively report they will be targeting anyone travelling just 3km over the posted speed limit, I question if this is a safety decision or simply a revenue gathering exercise. Who can honestly control their speed to such a low margin? When every road user is so obsessed with dropping their eyes from the road to ensure their speed is not creeping up, the risk to me on the road is greatly increased, as that momentary lapse in road focus could be all it takes for them to swap lanes without looking properly or not see me slowing in front of them. The same agencies that promote and encourage everyone to be obsessed with minor speed increase to the point of reducing situational awareness are the same ones that will also condemn drivers for looking at their phone while driving. Whether looking down at your phone or looking down at your speedo, the results are the same for other road users if you are not looking at the road.

When I am sharing a road with a distracted or bad driver, I will always use speed to put distance and other vehicles between me and them if I consider their driving is in any way putting me at greater risk. We share the roads with a variety of people on any given day, many of whom are distracted, drugged, or just bad or distracted drivers. Many Kiwis now come from a life overseas prior to arrival and often have had no road driving experience in their previous lives. Many drivers are more risk adverse, less capable or just young and inexperienced. I’m not going to judge every road user without knowing anything more about them than their observed driving skills, but I’m also not going to trust them with my safety if I don’t think their behaviour is safe for me to be around. Road safety is ultimately an individual choice and as much as the ‘baby on board’ crowd would like to imagine everyone will drive more safely to keep their family safe, it’s simply neither true nor their responsibility.

I do many things within my control to keep myself safe on the road that I can see value in. I don’t ride a motorbike in shorts, with jandals or T-shirt, but rather I prefer to have leather safety gear on my body,  feet and hands whenever I’m on the road. I will not however wear a ‘high-vis’ jacket and believe I am making myself safer. This is a similar mindset to the ‘baby on board’ bumper stickers that is asking other people to be responsible for your safety, rather than owning it yourself. There are many rules of behaviour on the road that every user appreciates and they all go a long way to keeping us all safe, but to expect them in every situation is a mistake. No matter how good the driver, everyone makes mistakes, so the more alert and self responsible you remain on the road, the safer you and others will be. I would always prefer to speed up to remove myself from risk than to expect or rely on  someone else to slow down or stop when I don’t even know if they have seen me. 

None of this is to say I condone riding like you’re at the Isle of Man on our roads. I’ve met many who believe the ultimate goal to be ‘knee down’ on every corner they approach. From throwing yourself off the seat to sticking a knee toward a hard surface in the pursuit of speed is a culture created by YouTube and track racing videos. Most bikes are capable of greater cornering speeds than they achieve and the major limiting factors are the surface of the road, the other road users and indeed the skill of the rider. No amount of throwing yourself off the seat or sticking your knee out is going to make you a better rider or faster and this behaviour belongs on the track where it has actual value. Riding on the road is very different from track racing in that there is absolutely no predictability on the road. The road surface is not flat, smooth, even or free of obstacles that may end your afternoon in a ditch, a hospital or a morgue. These are very real risks every day you choose to ride and your behaviour on the road will be the major determining factor if you come home with stories to tell.

Speed kills, sure - but utilising speed to your advantage can save your life too. It's not always the answer.