The young tend to love the adrenalin rush of risk-taking, whether skydiving, bungee-jumping, schussbooming, or driving fast machines. I once ran a motorcycle flat-out, to "see its actual top speed," on an interstate in California (a mere 105; it was a 1976 2-speed Hondamatic 750).
"We are young, wandering the face of the Earth, wondering what our dreams might be worth, learning that we're only immortal for a limited time..." (from the lyrics of Rush's Dreamline).
I remember when our then-President Nixon, responding to the "oil crisis," instituted a national speed limit of 55. Like most drivers, I ignored it when I thought I could get away with it. Over the years, that limit gradually got inflated by state regulations (on major highways), likely from popular demand.
When the Atlantic City Expressway was built, its posted limit was 70. Typical traffic flow was closer to 80. Now it's 65, and many drivers still cruise it at 80.
My driving style has always been "typical American," mostly following the rules, but also setting my speed (when safe) by the general flow of traffic, typically 5-10 MPH over the posted limits. By contrast,, there was the "Cannonball Run," a real event later popularized by a Burt Reynolds movie. I have never been tempted to participate in such an event, but there are still those who are (and succumb to the temptation).
Recently, because I became a "ride-share driver" (both Uber and Lyft), I was forced to change my car insurance to a carrier offering a policy rider to cover the "gray area" (the time between accepting a ride and arriving at the pickup location). The driver's own (compulsory) insurance covers the "empty" time, and Uber/Lyft cover the time when a passenger is on board. I chose State Farm, which does have such a rider (my then-insurer, Progressive, does not).
Along with the new policy came a new device to stick on the windshield, next to my EZ-Pass gizmo. It comes with an App, "Drive Safe and Save (TM)," an electronic "Big Brother" that tracks you with GPS and communicates with your phone. Stay within their tolerance for automotive misfeasance, by never speeding, suddenly braking, accelerating or cornering too fast , and you earn a discount on your policy. Currently, it's $87.72 for the six-month billing period. Wow! That's almost $15 a month!
So far, I'm playing along, using my speed control, watching roadside limit-signs along with GPS-posted limits on my dash (which sometimes conflict). I've observed that most vehicles of al sorts whiz by at a good clip (as expected). Surprisingly, few tailgate me when I can't pull over for them or when they can't pass. I get where I'm going in about the same time as before, my driving is more relaxed, and my mileage has gone from around 19 to around 23. After a few months of being "State-Farmed," I've become well-adjusted to the new driving style. No paranoid glances in the rear-view mirror, no scanning ahead for the hiding places of state and local revenue-collectors, and no regrets. I'm actually grateful to State Farm for giving me an incentive to drive in a safer, more relaxing and more economical manner.
To those (like the "anti-maskers") who might tell me that I am "giving up freedoms," I would just say, "grow up." Consideration of the safety of others (and perhaps saving lives) is always a good idea; getting "paid" to do so is a bonus. Driving within these parameters is definitely safer, and the requirement to avoid "too-rapid" braking forces me to do what I was already doing: avoiding the common, and by far the most dangerous, habit of far too many drivers: following too closely. The rule I learned in high school is still an excellent rule of thumb: maintain one car length behind the car ahead of you for each 10 MPH of your speed. Anything less, and you run the risk of back-ending that car if they stop quickly. I too often see accidents waiting to happen when a car going 65 or more is only one car length away from the next car. The laws of physics (and reaction time) guarantee a wreck in the case of sudden braking by that car. There have been many "pile-ups" of cars involving 70-100 cars, without adverse weather involved.
Many new cars now come equipped with radar distance-sensors and automatic braking systems which could make this kind of disaster a thing of the past. By percentage, they add little to a car's cost and might even be paid for by reductions in insurance premiums. Statistics would show whether the technology or human drivers were better at accident-avoidance.
If I join Barbara Walters in living to 120 or so, I expect to see technology like self-driving cars and pilotless air taxis become commonplace, then made obsolete by vehicles which use gravity/inertial control, perhaps enabling retail space travel and making Star Trek technology as common as smartphones.
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