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It not about flouting the law, it is people criticizing the validity of it because they don't believe it is fair. Whether that is true or not is besides the point...
Realistically in most situation going slightly faster than the speed limit or a bit of dodgy parking on a high-street isn't dangerous and the penalties are reflected by how severely you are prosecuted.
You've said that the truth of it isn't important, but you've then made a truth claim to justify your position. In fact it is dangerous, but we've done such a good job of designating roads as car-only spaces that it doesn't seem like it, because most of the time there's nobody to hit.
The problem is that humans are terrible at thinking about things probabilistically. If you consistently drive over the speed limit and don't hit anyone you will convince yourself that speed is not in any way a problem because you've never seen the downside of it. When you then consider a criminal case you'll naturally think that the driver's speed can't have been the problem, it was just bad luck that a child happened to step out in front of them (there but for the grace of god etc.). What this completely ignores is that every extra mph increases the probability of a collision if a child steps out in front of you, and increases the severity of injury and probability of death. We should be banning people from driving because their behaviour is dangerous i.e., it increases the probability of adverse outcomes, not only if they are the rare case where the adverse outcome has happened.
Also "going slightly faster than the speed limit" is something that shouldn't happen. The speed limits reduce the severity of impacts and so people should stick to them. Rather than aiming to drive at the limit (30mph say) and not worrying about creeping up to 33mph, you should be driving at 25mph and not worrying if your speed goes up to 30mph. There are a million good reasons to drive below the speed limit (poor visibility, fatigue, parked cars, lots of pedestrians, cyclists, rain, poor road surface, low sun, bad brakes) and no reason other than common-or-garden cuntishness to drive above it.
ffm-
You've said that the truth of it isn't important
Not when it comes to perception that a lot of current road laws are there to raise a bit cash for the council rather than actually stopping dangerous driving. People aren't rational.
When you then consider a criminal case you'll naturally think that the driver's speed can't have been the problem, it was just bad luck that a child happened to step out in front of them (there but for the grace of god etc.). What this completely ignores is that every extra mph increases the probability of a collision if a child steps out in front of you, and increases the severity of injury and probability of death.
Not when some speed limits are completely fucking arbitrary. If they are going to fast in a residential area, then yeah they should have the book thrown at them.
But there are a lot of arbitrary limits i.e. 50mph on a 3 lane carriage way on the way into Sheffield... seriously why is it that slow?
Also "going slightly faster than the speed limit" is something that shouldn't happen. The speed limits reduce the severity of impacts and so people should stick to them. Rather than aiming to drive at the limit (30mph say) and not worrying about creeping up to 33mph, you should be driving at 25mph and not worrying if your speed goes up to 30mph.
Nobody is going to do that because everyone wants to get places quickly and 25 mph is really fucking slow on most roads.
There are a million good reasons to drive below the speed limit (poor visibility, fatigue, parked cars, lots of pedestrians, cyclists, rain, poor road surface, low sun, bad brakes) and no reason other than common-or-garden cuntishness to drive above it.
If your car's brakes are fucked the car should be in the garage FFS. You drive to the conditions. If I am speeding on a straight road with perfect visibility for miles ahead is that dangerous, obviously fucking not.
cookiesdonniedarko
There are threads on this forum where cyclists are basically feeling aggrieved when the law is enforced. Drivers aren't the only people to do this.
Yes because there is a feeling that speed cameras and traffic wardens are there to catch you out and raise money rather than actually catch dangerous drivers (like drunk drivers and those that drive at excessive speed). It not about flouting the law, it is people criticizing the validity of it because they don't believe it is fair. Whether that is true or not is besides the point and the accusatory stance you guys seem to take will reinforce their views.
Realistically in most situation going slightly faster than the speed limit or a bit of dodgy parking on a high-street isn't dangerous and the penalties are reflected by how severely you are prosecuted.