Why are motor vehicles built to go faster than the legal speed limit?

Posted by: RainbowSpirit

31st Aug 2011 12:53am

I believe that all motor vehicles driven on public roads should only reach the maximum speed limit of 120km/h. I don't understand why car manufactorers have built them to go any faster? I am just wondering if there was any way they could actually put this idea in place, because to me it makes sense. I have never come across a sign that says to go 180km/h, have you? It will lessen the speed of drivers and it may also help to reduce the number of driving fatalities that occur each year on our roads.

lpullman

19th Nov 2012 03:19pm

Nice straw man you have there, mate.

The point you've missed being that highly trained and experienced drivers don't speed down city streets. It's the untrained and inexperienced that drive in a manner unsuited to the conditions. If you don't believe me, feel free to consult the statistics that every state government publishes.

Driving to the conditions is precisely about making your own decisions rather than relying on the (governement supplied) speed limit. Try living somewhere where you get ice on the roads overnight and watch the tourists sliding around because they rely on those speed signs rather than their own judgement. The state of the roads here in SA makes it doubly so: near me is a stretch where they lowered the speed limit rather than fixing the surface...

If you think 130km is enough to pass a B-double on a single lane highway then you've never done it.

Don't try traffic light drags in this state: squeal a tyre and you're fair game under our anti-hoon laws. Besides, traffic light drag racing is just as dumb as any other form of racing on the street. Go to a track (and you might just learn something useful as well)

Lastly, we're not talking about enforcement of speed limits, but speed limiting vehicles.

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