An idea on speed

[corco]

As I was driving to Denver today, a though popped into my head. A lot of folks have proposed eliminating speed limits- but what if we also eliminated speedometers?

That would remove speed completely from the equation- I feel like if speed limits were eliminated folks would drive faster then they would (knowing what the speed limit used to be), but what if speedometers themselves were removed? This would remove speed completely from the equation.

It might be bad since it would increase speed disparity, but wouldn't traffic flow at a more natural rate? Taking I-25 in Colorado as an example, I feel like if there weren't a sign telling me to do 75 and I had no idea how fast I was going, I'd probably go 80-85 from Wyoming to Fort Collins, then slow to 60-65 to E-470.

It seems like traffic would probably speed up on neighborhood streets but slow down on freeways. Any thoughts?

[mightyace]

IMHO, I don't think that it would be a good idea.

One problem with the human brain is that it does a poor job of estimating things like distance, speed, etc.

For example, in areas with restrictive (relatively low speed) turns, I use the speedometer reading to make sure that I can make it.  This is especially true if the curve comes after a long straight stretch where you're cruising.  If it's a curve I've done before, I know how fast I can take it safely and the speedometer is a check to make sure reality matches my perception.

Another case is under adverse weather conditions, it is easy to stay at a safe speed if you know what it is.

Lastly, I own and drive multiple vehicles with diverse speed and handling characteristics.  The speedometer again provides an objective check because a turn at 50 in my van can feel the same as 75 in my El Dorado.

[bugo]

At night, you can turn your dash lights off to simulate driving without a speedometer.

[corco]

For example, in areas with restrictive (relatively low speed) turns, I use the speedometer reading to make sure that I can make it.  This is especially true if the curve comes after a long straight stretch where you're cruising.  If it's a curve I've done before, I know how fast I can take it safely and the speedometer is a check to make sure reality matches my perception.

Another case is under adverse weather conditions, it is easy to stay at a safe speed if you know what it is.

Do you think that's a learned behavior, though? If you'd never seen a speedometer before, would you be dead or just not dependent on it? I suppose that's my main concern is that we've become too dependent on it.

[mightyace]

For example, in areas with restrictive (relatively low speed) turns, I use the speedometer reading to make sure that I can make it.  This is especially true if the curve comes after a long straight stretch where you're cruising.  If it's a curve I've done before, I know how fast I can take it safely and the speedometer is a check to make sure reality matches my perception.

Another case is under adverse weather conditions, it is easy to stay at a safe speed if you know what it is.

Do you think that's a learned behavior, though? If you'd never seen a speedometer before, would you be dead or just not dependent on it? I suppose that's my main concern is that we've become too dependent on it.

It depends on your skill level.  If you have the skills of a race car driver, then a speedometer is not necessary.

What I'm saying about myself is that I use it as an aid to make sure what I feel from myself and the car is accurate.  I could probably drive safely without one, but I'd driver slower when I wasn't sure about conditions.

EDIT:
Or to put it another way, your senses can fool you.  That's why aircraft have instruments because even the best pilots can become disoriented.  Of course, a mistake driving is usually not as bad as one in the air, but IMHO the same principle applies.  Your instrument cluster provides an objective view of the world to supplement your subjective view that your senses give you.

[J N Winkler]

Speed adaptation is a well-known and well-documented phenomenon.  For that reason alone, eliminating speedometers is a thoroughly bad idea.  As a general rule of thumb, I like to have as many gauges as possible--not just speedometer and fuel gauge, but also tachometer, temperature gauge, volts gauge, and oil pressure gauge.

There are certainly concerns about drivers relying too heavily on signposted advisory speeds (to the dangerous extent that they assume any curve which does not have an advisory speed is safe to take at the speed limit in fair weather), and in general treating speed limits as guarantees that the road is safe to drive at the limit in fair weather.  But the solution to these problems does not lie in taking away drivers' ability to know exactly how fast they are going.

[Bickendan]

Not only that, as much as I dislike school zone speed limits, without speedometers and speedlimits, how do you gauge you're going slow enough in an area marked 'Slow - School Zone'?

'Well, this 40-ish is slow! I'm good to go!'