Too fast?

Posted on | December 25, 2005 | No Comments

Too fast? How do you define too fast?

Legally I’d assume too fast involves your speedo going above the numbers in the red circles next to the road. I’m told ‘technically’ too fast is a speed higher than you’re ability to avoid/react to any hazards that ‘could’ appear ahead.

Today is Christmas day, I have been driving my Grandparents from their house to mine. All the way my mind wondering ‘Is this too fast for them?’ I mean, they’re old. One has a heart problem, one has problems with getting out of breath. But I’m still finding it hard to drive slow. There’s some nice sweeping country lanes with smooth-as-a-track tarmac between our houses. Roads that you really wouldn’t worry about driving a little ‘too fast’ on. But I’m holding back. All the way, holding back.

Driving fast is dangerous. But so, I find, is driving ‘medium’ and looking constantly at your speedo. I know these roads, but I still can’t drive them blind. Everytime I accellerate from a junction/corner/the stupid Yaris that was far too close I’m watching the little red needle trying to determine where I can stop it that is not ‘too fast’ and not ‘achingly dull’. Surely this can’t be a good thing? With all the speed cameras popping up I find myself working my eye muscles to Schwartznegger proportions flicking between my speedo, the yellow boxes (and then) the road.

I’ve just come back from a spirited drive (without my Grandparents) and I can safely say that I was driving the same roads at a higher speed than I had deemed ‘too fast’ with them in the car. I would also say that I was driving a lot worse before. Checking my speedo, not concentrating on driving and the road: 50mph felt ‘too fast’. Alone and with my mind on driving, ‘too fast’ was most certainly not 50mph.

I can’t help but think, ‘too fast’ is the point where you run off the road because you were checking to see if you were going ‘too fast’ to stay on it, rather than just driving in order to stay on it. I’m not one to say ‘abolish the speed limits’. But I am one to say, concentrate on driving, not your speed; Speed is a byproduct of good driving and the more you’re thinking about speed, the less you’re thinking about driving, and the more likely it is that you’re going ‘too fast’.

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