Status: Civil Disobedience Prank
In order to demonstrate the stupidity of the 55 mph speed limit, four Atlanta students pulled a dangerous stunt: they all drove exactly 55 mph on the highway, in a line, thereby blocking the flow of traffic and creating an enormous traffic jam.
Check out the video of it. I realize the students thought they were doing something clever, but as I watched the video I found myself getting more and more angry at them. It was like experiencing road rage while sitting behind a computer. I kept imagining the people in the blocked traffic who probably had to get to work, or wanted to get home, and who were instead being held up by these idiots and their road block.
Anyway, their argument — that their experiment proves the absurdity of the 55 mph law — is flawed. It didn't prove that at all. All it proved is that if you form a rolling blockade, it's going to create a traffic jam. It would have had the same effect at 65 mph. Plus, it's definitely against the law to form a blockade like they did. Only the police are allowed to do that. So they weren't actually obeying the law.
I realize that pranks are supposed to be obnoxious and annoy some people. But delaying innocent commuters, and creating a situation in which people could easily have gotten hurt as anger escalated, just doesn't seem quite right to me. Though this is probably the angry driver inside of me feeling that way. (One more thing: at the beginning of the video they misspell the word obedience.)
Update: Some quick googling, and I found the section of Georgia law (
code 40-6-40, section D) that applies to what they did:
No two vehicles shall impede the normal flow of traffic by traveling side by side at the same time while in adjacent lanes, provided that this Code section shall not be construed to prevent vehicles traveling side by side in adjacent lanes because of congested traffic conditions.
So it was illegal, and they made a video of themselves doing it. Not too smart.
Update 2: David Spear, a spokesman for the Atlanta Police Department, has been
quoted as saying that what the students did was legal:
David Spear, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said if the students weren't blocking emergency vehicles and were going the speed limit, "they didn't do a thing wrong." Spear added that the speed limit was lowered to 55 because it saves lives. "In Atlanta, the actual effect of it is we expect the people going 75 to move over so the people going 95 can have the right of way," he said.
So I guess I was wrong. Though I'm still having a hard time understanding how it can be legal, when the code referenced above seems to state that it's not legal.
Comments
However, the statute in question reads:
(a) Upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows:
(1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement;
(2) When an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the highway, provided that any person so doing shall yield the right of way to all vehicles traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the highway within such a distance as to constitute an immediate hazard;
(3) Upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon; or
(4) Upon a roadway restricted to one-way traffic.
This is a eight-lane highway, so I'm not sure what, exactly, that means to the law. I'm just drawing a blank on a three-lane highway.
How this entitles others to break the law is beyond me, but people get aggressive when they're behind the wheel.
I'd wager it would be found illegal because I really don't think the authorities would find the even-though-they-were-preventing- anyone-from-passing-them-they-were-doing-the-speed-limit argument convincing.
Wikipedia even has an entry about the MIDAS system used to control traffic flow in this way:
M25 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M25_motorway
MIDAS - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway_Incident_Detection_and_Automatic_Signalling
While driving through the state a few years back, I must say it was fun to actually travel in my truck at a high speed without worrying that a state trooper would pull me over.
Regardless of if they were obeying the law or not, it was a stupid way to prove a point and caused many problems. They should have at least allowed people to pass them in some way, especially if they were an emergency vehicle.
Flip the coin on your 'what if' scenario. What if one of those cars stuck in traffic held a terrorist on his way to commit a suicide bombing at an Atlanta-area mall? What if these humble students foiled his plan by unknowingly ensnaring him in an unexpected traffic jam?
What if your cell phone blabbling and swerving caused a cascade of brake lights that turned rush hour into a crawl? At the front of the wave, you'd never even know it was your fault...but it was. And, because of you, that mother of two didn't make it to the hospital and died.
Get real.
What they did was legal. What they did proves a point. Despite its legality, I have little doubt that they would lose a first and possibly second round in court. But, if they wanted to pursue it, they would without a doubt win in the end.
Personally, I've always felt that the term 'speed limit' should be changed to read 'Maximum Safe Speed'. Gets the point across a bit better, I think. Though you know some idiot - probably in my home state of California - is going to sue after getting in a lower-speed accident on the basis that they thought it would be completely safe.
I've always had used cars, two of them VW bugs, and those things can hardly go over 60 if I REALLY tried.
So let's say the speed limit is 75 now, what about all the cars thatn can't reach that fast or the people who can't handle that speed?
Some may not give a shit about their lives but who came along and decide certain people should drive faster then anyone else and possibly endanger other people's lives?
Okay, let's say let's take it all away comepletly, 0 speed limit, people can drive as fast as they want.
Then what if some people comes along and decide we SHOULD have speed limit and pull a same stunt and all drive down the highway going 15 mph, what then?
I'd also like to say that driving on the shoulder or in the grass for an emergency vehicle is not always such a good or safe idea. It slows down our response time and makes things a little more dangerous for the fire truck and the crew inside. Weight constantly shifts around due to the water inside the tank. Driving halfway in a ditch and getting stuck or rolling over would not be a fun experience for the fire dept. If we cant get there in a safe and efficent manner, then we can't help our public.
I understand how you feel Aaron, but "what if" your house was on fire and we couldnt get there because of something like this? You'd probably be upset, right? Regardless of the fact that they were driving the speed limit, they have no right to endanger other people's lives or property by purposly causing a traffic jam.
Regarding the total gridlock scenario...emergency responders are also allowed to use the lane of opposite flow of traffic to arrive on scene, however, this is very dangerous and should not be done unless you are passing. On a highway/freeway this is sometimes impossible. Also, the trucks on scene probably caused the gridlock. When there is an accident on a street, we usually set up our fire trucks in a way to block the lanes close to the accident with the fire truck, thus keeping the emergency area safe. Dont want a firefighter getting hit by a passing motorist when he/she is trying to help someone. This has happened before in the past, and that is why we now block the lanes with our trucks. Hopefully there's a way for traffic to go around us, but if not, it's ok because safety is the main issue here.
If they were'nt causing a traffic jam, then no one would have to break the law to pass them.
I guess he meant people passing on the left were to break the speed limit? Whether or not he was being legit with me, or just filling his quota for the day....a cop told me to break the speed limit when passing.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/19/MNG3NFAOF11.DTL
As mentioned previously, slowing down can increase the number of cars that can 'fit' on the road, and can actually deacrease congestion.
Apart from emergency vehicales - what the hell is the rush? Is it such a huge deal to leave a few minutes earlier? As far as commercial vehicles are concerned, you won't be impeding them, as most will have speed limiters so they can't exceed the speed limit.
Well, someone's life is in danger, that's what the rush is all about. Yeah, sure, let's just stroll on over there after lunch. It's only someone's life, right? They'll get another one, I'm sure!
"Is it such a huge deal to leave a few minutes earlier?"
I dont know if this was directed towards emergency responses, but if it was, its clear you dont work in such a type of job.
An emergency can happen at any time and any place. There is no option to "leave a few minutes earlier" When the call comes in - you go NOW!
"Yeah, someone's house is going to catch on fire in 30 minutes! Let's leave early and get there before it happens!" Yeah, right. Not going to happen.
The whole reason to "rush" to the scene of the emergency is to get there as soon as possible. It is an emergency, after all.
Throw the book at these idiots...
Has anyone considered what would have happened if this thing wasn't planned and four cars just happened to all be travelling at the speed limit in four lanes? Would you say they were breaking the law? They weren't deliberately setting out to impede traffic, but it may have happened.
And I think it's quiet ridiculous that you people think 55 miles an hour to be slow. Thats almost 90kms an hour. 75 miles an hour is 120 kms an hour. In most states in Australia, 110km/hour is the maximum speed allowed on any road, even when crossing the Nullabor and that's a bloody long way.
I think you people need to just slow down a bit and enjoy life before it slips away from you.
In my opinion, public roadways are not the place for any sort of demonstration. If one of the people who had gotten fristrated and passed on the shoulder had suddenly encountered a broken down vehicle or worse yet, a person walking down the shoulder this incident would have turned into a tragedy rather than the ridiculous and moronic "demonstration" it was.
I f***ing hate the way that drivers - unlike people in almost any other context - seem to believe they have a god-given right to break the law.
Besides, I don't think they ended up proving anything other than their own stupidity.
Obviously, you can find a wording error in any law. Let's say locale has a 'no weapons' rule, worded in a traditional fashion. You have a 6" lead pipe in your pocket. You are not breaking the law. However, when you close your fist around it and attack someone, you're employing it is a weapon, and you are breaking that law. By using the speed limit to intentionally create a blockade, you violate the clear purpose of the law. They may not be smart enough to recognize it, but that's no excuse.
No judge in his right mind would side with these students if this was in court -- it would create the opportunity for hundreds of people to do the same thing, create dangerous situations, and do it with impunity. Remember, the letter of the law isn't their whole life -- they are political animals too.
Technically right, morally right, irrelevant. The system would punish them if the opportunity presented itself and YOU ALL KNOW WHY, so quit arguing semantics.
-T
I think the Georgia laws shows the hypocracy in the 55mph laws, viz. it was a law implemented by the FEDERAL government. Wait, the Feds can't make a law like that can they? True, but they promised to withhold Federal Highway Trust funds from states that did not implement a 55mph limit. Georgia is in the position a lot of states are - they need to have a 55mph limit law on the books but they'd prefer not to. Note the use of "normal flow of traffic" and "normal speed of traffic"
If you're on a highway which is 55 mph, yet you travel it at 65 mph, you'll get to your destination around 10 minutes sooner, If You Travel For An Hour. If you're on a trip of 4 or more hours, the time adds up to a noticeable amount.
If your time on the highway at 65 is only 10 minutes, you'll get to your destination perhaps a minute earlier, but with a lot more stress and chance of accident as you dodge around other cars.
It's stupid to speed on local trips.
Sorry, but this is textbook BS. I may have missed it if anyone mentioned it before, but no one had to violate the law to pass them. No one could legally travel faster than them, but one or more of them could certainly travel slower. They were in violation of side-by-side, as all one of them had to do was slow to 53mph. Of course, with the situataion they created, it'd be a bull rush to get through that lane. Anyone remember a Who concert in 1981?
Here's a link to the story:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0303metfilm.html
The kids are retarded, although, I'm glad they did what they did.
I drive to work on a 45 mph rdwy, and then a 50 mph hwy. On the first 4 miles of the 45 mph rdwy there is a construction zone & the speed limit has changed to 25 mph. People try to pass me, (b/c I am going exactly 25) and in turn, are endangering opposing traffic. They are also endangering ME. If they start to pass, and realize they can't get around me b/c of oncoming traffic...they're going to try and move back in their lane. They can't go onto any shoulder - there isn't one. The road is blocked in by barriers on either shoulder. The lanes have also been skinnied up to give the construction crews more room.
The speed limit is the TOP speed you can drive in PERFECT conditions. The appropriate distance is one car length between vehicles on dry roadways, and 2 on wet. It did not look like all those vehicles were following the law regarding distance, either.
Also, they did this during the middle of the day specifically to avoid ruining the morning or evening rush hour.
I think the point is the absurdity of enforcement. It seems ludicrous for police to look the other way as people do 20 MPH over the limit (75, which is pretty much the average speed on that road when traffic moves freely), but write tickets for 12 or 15 over the limit on other roads. Why not make the limit 65 and write tickets for anything over 75?
As for upsetting the daily order of things...I'm sure whites in Selma, Alabama felt like you did during the bus boycott.
and once again, as far as the law, I don't care whether what they did was technically legal or illegal, public roadways are not the place for this type of stunt. Someone could have been hurt or killed, that is my issue with this.
I have to admit though that I am now over my fear of driving in Atlanta and actually look forward to it. I have developed a bit of a fondness for speed but am trying to curtail it. I think Atlanta is fun to drive now. That is when you aren't in 10 mile long backups maxing out at 17 mph.
As a personal sidebar, what difference does it make if people driving the speed limit (obeying the law) clog up traffic or an accident clogs up traffic? Even in the instance of emergency vehicles, neither makes it any more difficult for them to respond. In the event of an accident clogging up traffic, it makes it impossible for them to respond. As an Atlanta driver, this "road block" is no different from any other time of the day!