All modern cars are more than capable of driving faster than posted speed limits. Even the highest speed limits in the world are significantly slower than even regular road cars are capable of.
This leads many road users to wonder why cars are made to go faster than the speed limit if they are not permitted to travel at these speeds.
Here are 9 reasons why cars are made to go faster than the speed limits.
1. To Improve Reliability
Modern cars can drive faster than the speed limit and are designed to be as reliable as possible.
A car that is only rated to go as fast as the speed limit is likely to not be very reliable. Engines and important car components that can perform well and safely at high speeds can maintain that safety at lower speeds.
Cars that go faster are made with more durable components, are less likely to break or become damaged, and can be used at higher speeds for long periods.
Using them at lower speeds increases the vehicle’s lifespan and components and keeps the parts from failing.
Any vehicle designed to reach high speeds can handle low speeds well. The components of these vehicles receive less wear and tear and last much longer when used at regular speeds, which significantly improves the vehicle’s reliability.
Why This Is Important
- Longer-lasting car
- Less maintenance costs
- Lower fuel costs
- Better safety, especially at high speeds
2. For Safety In Emergency Situations
Cars can drive faster than the posted speed limit to provide access to faster speeds and higher performance in an emergency.
If you are on the road and are headed for an accident, moving your car out of harm’s way fast can mean the difference between a collision and a near-miss.
The ability to accelerate quickly and move out of the way of trouble reduces the risk of traffic accidents and keeps the roads safer overall.
A car that cannot escape danger quickly and easily is more likely to be involved in an accident, especially on modern roads. The ability to accelerate to a good high speed in a short distance and then slow down quickly afterward is essential for modern vehicles.
Why This Is Important
- Increased acceleration for evading accidents and emergencies
- Improved overall safety on the road
- Decreased traffic risk to other drivers and road users
3. Faster Speeds Equal Better Overall Performance
Modern cars are made with the ability to reach higher speeds than standard speed limits, as this is a by-product of engineering the vehicles with better overall performance.
A car that can drive very fast is likely to get up to speed in less time, stop more quickly, handle more safely, and be more stable and smooth.
Engineering a car to drive quickly forces the manufacturers to include good safety and performance measures to enable the car to reach these speeds safely.
A car that cannot dive fast does not need to accelerate quickly, nor doe sit need to handle corners well. This means faster cars are generally safer, more fun to drive, and more effective for regular driving than slower cars.
Why This Is Important
- Increased safety at high speeds
- Better road stability and driving control
- Longer-lasting components
- Better fuel efficiency
4. To Improve Safety
A car made to drive significantly faster than speed limits is also made safer overall. These car=s are equipped with highly sophisticated safety equipment and are made to handle those speeds well.
These cars also have higher-quality tires, better brakes, more sophisticated suspension systems, better collision safety, better safety glass, better wet-road performance, and even better headlights.
A car made to drive fast needs this equipment to keep the passengers safe at high speeds. This means that manufacturers develop this safety measure for their vehicles.
Even though the driver is unlikely to drive faster than the speed limit, these safety features are always present, even at slower speeds.
Why This Is Important
- Better safety means a better overall driving experience
- A good safety rating helps a car retain value
- Less damage to the car in the event of a collision
5. To Safely Pass Other Vehicles
An important reason why cars can drive faster than the speed limit is to have the ability to safely overtake slower vehicles.
When driving on large, long-distance roads, it is vital to have the ability to safely pass other drivers. If the car cannot reach a higher speed quickly, overtaking becomes highly unsafe.
To perform these maneuvers, a car must be capable of high speeds, even if these speeds are only used for very short periods.
Without the ability to safely overtake, there would be far more high-speed accidents than there are now.
Driving faster than the local speed limit for a short period of time to safely overtake a large, slow truck is often safer than remaining behind the truck over long distances.
Why This Is Important
- Passing safely is impossible without higher speed capabilities
- Quick access to more speed makes highway driving much safer
- Making these maneuvers is more fuel efficient than remaining behind slow vehicles
6. Slow Cars Are Dangerous On Modern Roads
Any car used on modern roads that is not capable of quick acceleration, quick stopping, and good handling is not safe on the road.
As cars become faster, any car not made to drive quickly becomes a hazard on the roads to the drivers of the slow car and the other road users.
If a car cannot get up to speed quickly, it is likely to force other drivers to overtake, which can be dangerous in urban environments, and if the car is unable to stop quickly, it is likely to cause an accident. The same is true for cars that cannot handle wet roads or sharp bends.
Modern cars are made with the ability to accelerate quickly, brake safely, and handle difficult roads well. Along with these abilities come higher top speeds.
Even if the car will never be driven at its maximum speed, the characteristics of a car that can exceed the speed limit keep the passengers safe on fast, modern roads.
Why This Is Important
- Slow cars cause accidents on modern roads
- Faster cars are safer for all road users when operated safely
- Discouraging unsafe maneuvers is good for all drivers
7. For Better Fuel Economy And Efficiency
Modern cars are made with very well-engineered gears and gearboxes. The way the gear ratios are designed and set up in modern cars means they can bring the cars to higher speeds.
This efficiency in the gearing of the vehicle means significantly better fuel efficiency, which is necessary in the modern world.
This efficiency of gearing comes along with higher engine speeds by default. There is no way to produce these efficiencies without producing higher engine speeds. This means that the more efficient the car is, the faster it can drive in most cases.
This is why there are speed limits, as the cars we drive will become faster and more efficient, but the speed limits keep all cars moving slower, despite these abilities, and keeps the roads safer even though modern cars are so fast.
Why This Is Important
- Better fuel efficiency means lower fuel costs
- Better fuel efficiency results in a longer-lasting engine
- Improved fuel efficiency is overall better for the environment
8. Normal Cars Are Better Than Ever Before
Regular cars are better than they have ever been before. Never before have normal cars been made with such good engines, tires, and control. This means that as the cars get better, they naturally become faster, even if they are just regular cars.
As automotive technology improves, regular cars improve in every way, to the point where regular cars that cannot exceed speed limits can now do so easily.
However, most regular cars, those that are not made for very high speeds, those that are not luxury cars, and those not made for sports purposes, can exceed the speed limit, but not by very much, and not for very long.
Most normal cars are not rated for excessively high speeds and are usually not well equipped to handle this type of driving.
This means that the cars are capable of quick accelerations and braking to keep the occupants safe and have enough power to perform safe overtaking. Still, they are not fast enough to maintain a speed higher than the speed limit for very long.
These cars can exceed the speed limit, but they are not made to do so and are, therefore, unsafe at very high speeds. This means regular cars are powerful enough to be safe but not dangerous.
Even though normal cars have become far better and can exceed the speed limit, they are not made to do so for extended periods and cannot do so safely.
Why This Is Important
- Better regular cars mean an improved driving experience
- Better regular cars mean improved overall road safety
- Better regular cars discourage reckless driving
9. As An Engineering Showcase
Most high-speed cars are not made with speed limits in mind but are instead made as an engineering exercise.
Most of the fastest cars in the world are sold at a loss for the manufacturer, as they are simply so expensive to engineer and produce that they would be far too expensive for anyone to buy.
These supercars and hypercars are made to be as fast as possible and to push the limits of what can be done with a car. These vehicles are usually not meant for use on public roads, even though they are road legal.
These cars are purposefully designed to be driven on racing tracks, where they can be safely taken to their top speeds.
These cars are exceedingly safe at average speeds because the cars’ hardware, tires, and mechanical components are rated for shockingly high speeds, which means that average speeds are incredibly safe for these vehicles.
All the safety features we have already discussed are even more applicable to these hypercars.
Why This Is Important
- These endeavors push science and engineering further
- These endeavors produce better technology in other industries
- These endeavors produce better vehicles and transportation for the future
