The first speed limit was put introduced in 1861 in the UK. That is also the exact date that people started scheming of ways they could break the speed limit without getting caught.
Over time, Radar Detectors, Laser Detectors, CB Radios, PBA decals along with crazy theories, such as always traveling in the right lane as much as possible, developed in an attempt to outsmart the law and avoid speeding fines.
Of all the tactics that have developed, one of the most interesting (and most logical if you really think about it) is “The Shield” or as I like to call it, “Highway Hero.” Here’s how it works: Basically you find someone who is speeding (Your Hero) and then you hang back and follow them from a safe distance. This way if Hero runs up on a speed trap and hits the breaks you will have fair warning to react and slow down before you get to the trap yourself.
So you basically drive as fast as the Highway Hero, but with a greatly reduced risk of getting a fine for speeding (or so you think).
We see companies and brands using this strategy all the time. They fear the risks associated with entering new territory and speeding ahead so they let someone else do it instead. The mentality is that “it will be safer if we just wait and react when we see things happening in the marketplace.”
The problem with this logic is that usually once you see it, it’s too late. By that time, the Highway Hero has gained the number one spot, and they are stuck in the back with all the other “Hang Back Zeros.”
So are you a Highway Hero or a Hang Back Zero?
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