Why the Speed Limit is a Suggestion

Zach Willis

Obtaining a license as a high school student is one of the most liberating and seminal goals one can wish to achieve—one that comes with significant responsibility, however. 

Over the period I’ve had mine, I’ve had a noticeable decrease in active thought while driving; my route to school is practically done on autopilot. Regretfully, this includes overlooking the ever-shrinking speed limit of Orange County streets and freeways. Sometimes 65 miles an hour just isn’t enough to get me from point A to point B. Sometimes speeding is necessary. Everyone does it. If you went onto the I-5 without a speedometer and purely coasted at the pace of the cars around you without traffic, you’d be going at least 75 miles per hour. Holding up the natural flow of traffic to be a law-abiding citizen is simply unproductive. 

On my way home the other day, my curiosity peaked. Why such a rush? Why does going a clean 65 on the freeway feel like a safety hazard to everyone around me? Why do I prioritize efficiency over safety, and why do all of the drivers around me agree? 

Dreams of driving in my own isolated space have consumed my mind since I was 13. I wanted to get my license as soon as humanly possible. 13 turned into 14, then 15, then the coveted 16. Four days after my birthday, the license was finally mine. As I look back, however, a pattern sticks out. I lack real memories of that unlicensed period of my life. I sped so fast to reach maturity that I failed to take anything in. Now that I’m rapidly approaching adulthood, I can’t say I don’t regret it. 

My current life parallels such ignorance in subtler ways. My driving speed realistically only saves a few minutes, yet the discomfort I feel from slowing down is enough to push the accelerator. Society puts so much emphasis on maturity that staying present became a seemingly impossible chore. 

With this in mind, I’ve decided to take my foot off the accelerator recently—on the way home, on the way to school, and on the way to my future.