Quote:
Originally Posted by selfdrive
I would rather have such people satisy their speed urge on dedicated race tracks than risk other lives on highways which have official speed limit of 80 kmph.
Especially when most of these people think that ability to accelerate a car is equal to great driving. Its not driving, its only speeding. Overspeeding in this case as they cannot do anything other than crash as a reaction to some incident (maybe a lane change by another vehicle or a pothole or a miscalculated turn) |
The problem with us human beings is we like to emulate our heroes without wanting to learn from the beginning. From our childhood we like to be like action heroes and jump from the top of our beds and wrap a bedsheet around and pretend play we are caped heroes.
So even when we grow up we are no lesser children. As we age our perception of heroes and heroism change. We start to think our bicycles are no less as compared to Rossis and Stoners bikes on track. There have been countless incidents with me when ive ended up with self induced accidents on my bicycles. At one point it had gone to such an extent that my parents literally stopped me from riding bicycles and till this day they refuse permission to buy a motorcycle not even an activa.
It is perhaps due to their constant refusal and my dad's strictness that today when i ride a bike i dont go above 60kmph. As i aged i spent time learning that speed isnt everything. Each formula one and motogp crash made me realise this. Then getting into the medical profession and seeing accident cases day in and day out made me realise how fragile the human body is.
Yes on a track anyday Ill rip the horses out of a car. But on a road never. These days parents love their children blindly as a child can throw tantrums and given time constraints of a modern day life, parents oblige their children endlessly so much so that under 18s are given the drivers seat without proper adult supervision. Loving a child sensibly is different than loving him blindly. Yes you may have money and a wealth of resources at your disposal but no amount of wealth can bring back a lost child.
If you feel your child loves speed and youve got the time Id advise to go for track days. These are humbling experiences and make an individual realise the importance of safety of not just them but others also on the road. Formula one drivers did not become so in a day. They were trained over extended periods of time from their childhood and thus have reflexes aquired over a long training period inbred into their reflex systems. Even then crashes happen. It just goes on to show that a split second delay can lead to such damage. We are ordinary human beings. Till 2011 we probably never would have the chance of an experience of an f1 track. Yet we would behave without a care about others driving on the road. having a fast car will not give you fast reflexes unless you dedicate your time and energy on the track. Until you do that you will only continue to risk others lives on the road with your immaturity.
Controlling a vehicle 2 or 3 or 4 wheeler at lower speeds or through turns give much more fun than just blazing through a quarter mile without even getting to enjoy the world around you. Do you feel more fun riding in the twisties or on a straight line? Be honest to yourself. Yes i do have cars that can drive at 3digit speeds all day long but then I also have a family who expect me to return home each day without harming myself or anyone else on the road.
My words may not have been as well articulated as many senior Bhpians with a flair for writing. But i see this loss of lives everyday, not just on highways but on city streets, most of which are caused due to somebody else's carelessness and not necessarily the victims'. Hope this message has been able to convey atleast some wisdom to the people who lack it. If even one person is convinced about the value of human life after reading this i consider my purpose served.
I wish to offend noone with my words. Maybe they are the rambling of a person who is pissed off at the modern lifestyle of selfish living and zero value for human life and our attitude of saying "sorry" for all diplomatic reasons. Think of it. If you hit someone with your car or bike, what makes you say sorry? Does it come from the heart or is it the fear that the other person may harm you? We human beings have become worse than animals and we've learnt to hide our real selves behind cloaks of fake goodiness.
Id conclude with a self made sentence since we all are selfish in someway or the other and would like to take credit for everything under the sun
"Maintaining speed limits saves your life more often than breaking the limits."
Cheers
Edit: pardon my sarcasm if it doesnt suit your cup of tea.
Selfdrive sir Ive quoted your post as it relates to mine in a positive way.
Regards