Speeding and its Consequences

Speed, as you know, is a major issue in driving tests and fails many driving students. To see the common mistakes, I wrote an article about this subject.

Pass Your Road Test - Speed Issues

Cars have one major purpose: to get people from point A to point B, and fast. For speeds of 4 kilometers per hour (or 2.5 miles per hour) we have our feet. For speeds of 15-30 km/h (10-20 mph) we can ride a bicycle. For speeds like 100 km/h (about 60 mph), we need a car. The only problem is that the human race was built for walking speed, not driving speed. That is the cause of speed issues and accidents.

It may surprise you, but the most disturbing problem that many driving students have is driving too slow. Slow driving causes a safety hazard since drivers expect other drivers to drive as fast as possible to keep traffic flow. Some students are told "drive slow on the test and you will be fine". There is nothing further from the truth. Most examiners have a maximum allowed speed derivation from the speed limit, and from there it's an automatic fail. For example, in California it is 10 miles per hour. If a student drives at 25 miles per hour in a 35 zone, the test is over.

The other issue with speed is of course too much speed. Fast driving is very enjoyable, but just like everything in life, overdoing it can become the most unenjoyable experience in your life. During the driving test some examinees go over the speed limit, which is an automatic fail in some places and a warning in others. After the test, speeding is a major issue the police face every day, and it can become deadly very fast.

Approach speed on intersections is another problem with most beginner drivers. Some of them approach an intersection too fast and cannot stop behind the limit line, which can be marked as a failure to stop and an automatic test fail. Others slow down too much ahead of the intersection, causing traffic delays and annoyed drivers.

One of the more annoying speed issues is the lane change speed problem. Some drivers, especially when nervous, tend to signal for a lane change and wait forever. They see a driver next to them, so they cannot change their lane, but they don't slow down or accelerate to find a good entry point. They just wait for a miracle. This can cause dangerous maneuvers by them later to get to their turn or freeway exit on the last minute.

Like any other problem with driving, speed issues can be easily solved with practice and confidence. With the practice you will get the confidence and the "feel" of the proper speed in every situation you encounter.

To see how to handle speed the proper way and pass your driving test the first time, get your guide at Pass Your License Test section of my site.

Hope you found it useful.

Yours,
Nadav

nadavs