It’s Not The Speed, Officer

With the state of Iowa on the eve of raising the two-lane highway speed from 55 MPH to 60 MPH, many people are raising concerns that it will lead to more highway accidents and deaths. Of course they are correct but an increase of 5 MPH will change little. Although investigators blame most roadway accidents on an assortment of human errors, many people know that a combination of hurrying and not practicing safe following distance is the greatest reason why human error results in accidents. We simply need to leave more room for quick deceleration and for entering/crossing roadways.

One thing we need is for law enforcement to shift their attention away from minor speed violations and toward the drivers who are driving dangerously close to other vehicles. Many of the drivers who are exhibiting this behavior are not doing it because they are in a hurry, they are doing it because it has become normalized. They simply do not know it is wrong. Some do it because they feel threatened by the driver behind them: that if they do not drive faster and closer, they will be ran into(or worse). By adding signs educating drivers about the 3 Second Rule recommended by the National Safety Council, more drivers will practice safe following distance which will enable law enforcement to more easily identify/correct the problem drivers. Eventually, what has become normalized can become socially unacceptable.

Generally, four wheeled vehicles on our highways have their cruise controls set at 5–10 MPH over the speed limit, and larger vehicles with more wheels tend to cruise at 3-5 MPH over. This is relatively safe as long as conditions such as weather, curves, hills, intersections, etc are not factors and drivers are using safe following distance. The real danger presents itself when a driver is scared to drive over the speed limit and has a line of vehicles behind them, all driving too close and attempting to make dangerous passes. When jurisdictions update their speed limit signs, they should consider problem areas where speed limits should stay the same or even be lowered.

Not only is not using enough following distance dangerous, hurrying itself is dangerous. Surely everyone can think of a time when they had a close call when they entered the highway or when they raced to a stop light hoping that they could beat it only to end up having to come to a dangerously quick stop. With this all being said, two-lane highways will soon become even more dangerous than they are now. Let us set out on our trips earlier and drive safer so that we can all make it back home safely.