Speeding Australians Not Killed Because Speed Doesn't Kill

Last week we saw what has to be the best takedown of the myth that speed kills ever documented. Now, an Australian magazine has taken an hour off the trip from Melbourne to Sydney by going about 12 MPH faster than the limit. And they didn't even die. Not once.

Wheels magazine had British journalist Ben Oliver drive from Melbourne to Sydney and exceed areas with a 110 km/h (about 68 MPH) speed limit by 20 km/h, which is about 12 MPH. He adhered to the limit in areas that had different speed restrictions and slowed for all speed cameras.

The magazine was expecting he'd get pulled over three times on the drive that normally takes about 7.5 hours. Instead, he wasn't pulled over once and finished the drive in 6.5 hours.

Police are calling this "reckless," but is it really? It sure doesn't seem like it to me. On our highways, the flow of traffic is regularly traveling at 10 to 15 MPH more than the limit and most people aren't flying off the road recklessly.

This all goes back to the idea that the flow of traffic and a person's own instinct on a speed that feels safe is what makes for less accidents, not the idea that making an artificially low limit will save lives.

Of course, we'll probably never see the limits in all nations changed to reflect common sense, but it pays to dream, right?

(Hat tip to @CollieScott!)

Photo Credit: Getty Images