> the skill that actually matters is reaction time to sudden unexpected hazards (and consequent need for stopping distance)
More important than that is actually learning to predict hazards. Over years of experience, what was unexpected becomes hedging risks. Tight corners in residential areas, parked cars blocking visibility, managing distance not just from the car in front of you but behind you. That obviously requires slowing down in those sections.
One of the few places unrestricted speed makes sense, is a fully enclosed highway with very little traffic and enough lanes, during the daytime.
I see those rarely, mostly (SoCal) I see people going much faster than other traffic on a 6 to 12 lane freeway that is packed with cars, cutting people off, swerving across lanes, not signaling, treating driving like a video game except the people they kill don't get to restart the game.
More important than that is actually learning to predict hazards. Over years of experience, what was unexpected becomes hedging risks. Tight corners in residential areas, parked cars blocking visibility, managing distance not just from the car in front of you but behind you. That obviously requires slowing down in those sections.
One of the few places unrestricted speed makes sense, is a fully enclosed highway with very little traffic and enough lanes, during the daytime.