Is Fast Safe?

If you have seen a 10000 meter track race, you would know that there is a pace setter for the event. The job of the pace setter is to give the competitors a good start. It is his/her job to set the pace in the initial few laps. If the pace setter goes too fast, the competitors will be all too tired before the end of to really push in the closing stages. If he/she goes too slow, they will again be too slow to pick up the pace in the final few laps.

It’s a similar story in a cross country or a marathon. The leader is the one dictating the pace for everybody else behind. That is why it is important to have a good start in these events. If the person behind the leader can keep him within sight, he won’t pick up his pace. If he sees the leader increasing the gap, he will try and catch up with him.

So is the case on roads. You see a gap in front and you just feel like covering up the distance. If there are a smidgen more vehicles in front you, you inevitably slow down. I have been told before that driving/riding fast/faster is generally the safer option. You get out of trouble quicker. But one can also get into trouble as quickly. Think about it for a minute.

I don’t think driving/riding fast/faster is the safer option. Neither is going slow. Infact, going at the optimum relative speed is much safer. Going too fast and you will have to maneuver around the vehicles on the road. Go too slow and there is a chance of someone else having to maneuver around you. On the other hand if you are going at the pace of the rest of the traffic, there is lesser chance of you ending up in an accident.

So remember, you don’t have to be Michael Schumacher on the roads, or Ralf for that matter.