An intriguing thread to me.

My take is that the speed limit here is what it is and to judge it as too fast or too slow would seem to be as much of an opinion as the statement that a thing is old or new. I would suggest that it is more a matter of perspective. We all know the old adage about opinions and their similarity in possession to that of anatomical apertures.

There have been tangents which have arisen over the course of this thread and it is these I find most interesting.

To have ridden a motorcycle for any extended period of time, let me offer 6 months as a reasonable period to describe as extended, is an absolutely wonderful way to raise the awareness of road users to the dangers posed by cars to anything with less mass or velocity.

I would go on to suggest that the chances of anyone who has not ridden a motorcycle for the above suggested period of time being a far better, or safer for the sake of this conversation, are greatly increased.

The Japanese in my opinion differ only slightly in their incredible lack of skill on the road to the Americans. In my opinion neither are worth a darn as drivers. Very poor indicating skills, very poor speed management skills, and very poor awareness of others on the road. Is it due to education? Or is it due to experience? Or other factors? I do not know, but as I too am “old” (significantly more so than a book published in 1989) and have been driving for a great majority of my years of existence, I can state categorically that I believe the drivers of Japan and their safety record being suggested in this thread to be more effected by societal norms of behavior than speed laws.

Similarly I would posit that the British, specifically those resident in Greater London are better drivers, which I believe them to be, than most any other group I have encountered. I believe this is in no way related to their long history with early pub closing nor their use of grease leakage preventing paper when buying fish and chips. It is my firm belief that it is in large art due to better training and a certainly, to the student at least, irritating frequency of warnings to look in the mirror. Such irritation gives way to a better product emerging from their driving schools.

Slow driving is not by itself an indication of safe driving. I cite for example the driver creeping along at 50kph when the balance of cars are moving at 70kph.

The road users that I would say are the very best of all are those who use the road for their living on two wheels. I am referring specifically to Motorcycle messengers. Much maligned by other drivers but with a sixth sense for other vehicle proximity that is light years ahead of anyone in a steel box. And all too often, due to personal experience, these same two-wheeled demons of the road are also more likely to be aware of the pain that can be inflicted by a large mass vehicle hitting a smaller mass object such as a motorcycle or pedestrian. This knowledge cannot be bought at any other price. And it makes a person a better road user in almost every instance.

The road users who are second best in my opinion are those drivers who know the roads better than any other, who know traffic patterns at various ties of day and who are not only reliant on the road for their income, but are licensed only after an arduous two years of study at the hands of the police department. I speak of course of taxi drivers in London. If they cut somebody off to the extent an accident is caused that can be proven to be due to negligent driving on their part, they do not spend a lot more time out earning. This is great incentive to not do some of the same screeching stop and lane shifts one see with Tokyo taxi drivers several times an hour on busy roads.

And I won’t even get into the silly riding habits of the motorcyclists in Japan. Who ever heard of riding on the inside? Sheesh!

All of the above should be read in consideration of the fact that I spent 4 years as a motorcycle messenger in London in the late 80’s and took, unofficially, the knowledge test of taxi drivers for that same period. Passed too. : ) Bear in mind too that when offering the above diatribe that I hold a U.K. motorcycle license and a both U.S. and Japan (the one with the cute gold piping) car licenses.

Mike