The headline of this piece may surprise people who know me, as I'm not known for my patience or my careful observance of speed limits. However, a motorcycle flying down Route 366 just reminded me of an experience I had a few weeks ago while driving through Varna. I was stuck behind a tractor that was going about 15 or 20 miles an hour, and as usual, that was a bit frustrating.
After a few moments, though, I realized I could actually see what I was driving through. At 15mph, you're not nearly as worried about watching the four hundred yards directly in front of you, and can actually look around a bit. It's not like walking, but it's a much more interesting experience than just driving at full speed.
Sometime when you're not in a hurry and there's no one behind you, give it a try. I'm guessing that half the speed limit is a reasonable speed to try, taking the advice of the engineers who designed the road and applying their advice in a slightly different way. See how much more you can see around you, and how much less concerned you need to be about deer, squirrels, and other cars turning ahead of you.
You do, of course, need to keep an eye on the rear-view mirror, but if everyone tried this, that might be less of a problem.
(Debbie Teeter's article on farm machinery on roads this morning offered this slow driving as a benefit, but it's easier to accept if you get to choose when it happens.)
Posted by simon at May 31, 2006 8:37 PM in roads, traffic, and transit