Speed Limits Are Too Low

[Ben]

I found this to be an interesting article. I also believe there is much truthfulness to it. In much of CA, on the highway anyway, I'm always busy watching that I don't go too much over the speed limit in areas where it would be easy to safely drive 75 versus 65. When I've driven through parts of Utah where they set the speed limit to 80MPH, I've found myself driving under the speed limit, because my generally comfortable speed on the open road in good conditions is no more than 75MPH.

I've seen plenty of others also drive under 80MPH in those areas. I've certainly seen people drive over 80 as well, but not like places with lower limits, where 90% of the drivers are doing at least a few miles over the posted limit, if not a lot more.

http://priceonomics.com/is-every-speed-limit-too-low/

[Boomhauer]

Really depends on your area.

For the most part, I think our speed limits here are set fairly appropriately

Other states I've been too are sometimes a different story.

because my generally comfortable speed on the open road in good conditions is no more than 75MPH.

For me I typically set the cruise in such areas to 65 because that's my best efficiency speed. Start getting over 70 and fuel efficiency drops off a lot.

[charby]

Really depends on your area.

For the most part, I think our speed limits here are set fairly appropriately

Other states I've been too are sometimes a different story.

For me I typically set the cruise in such areas to 65 because that's my best efficiency speed. Start getting over 70 and fuel efficiency drops off a lot.

Yep, 85 mph in many western states is just fine, you get much over 65-70 in suburbia in eastern states and there is going to be a lot of accidents.

I usually try to stay under 75mph because my already crappy mpg really drops above that. 15.5 mph at 65 drops to 10 mph over 75 mph.

[Balog]

[Monkeyleg]

I find it very difficult to stay under 80 to 85. No matter how hard I try, I always wind up at that speed. It's comfortable for me, unless traffic is heavy.

Unfortunately, it's cost me two tickets in the last four years.

[HankB]

As I told the prosecutor during voir dire (I was on jury duty) for a case involving speeding . . . in many cases speed limits are set unreasonably low for purposes of revenue enhancement.

[lupinus]

I agree than in many areas speed limits are set to low. I look at the general flow of traffic and it is often 10-15 mph higher than the posted speed limit, particularly if there is no congestion. There's more than a couple roads doing the speed limit is likely to get you run over.

[brimic]

On my local commute, limits are 55 on the freeway,  I rarely see it moving at less than 75, often hit 80-85. The 55 mph limit is only in place for fund raising purposes, its complely ignored by motorists.

[Northwoods]

My commute to Bellingham for grad school involves a solid 8 mile stretch of interstate that's posted 60mph, but I can't see any reason for it.  Once you get into Bellingham, sure, drop the speed limit (rural stretches are 70mph posted limits).  But dropping it 8 miles before you can tell there's even a city approaching is absurd.

[Regolith]

Oregon is particularly stupid about this. There are lots of places, particularly in Eastern Oregon, where 65 or 70mph speed limits would be appropriate, but the maximum for highways is 55. Nobody really goes that slow, but nobody wants to change it, either. 

At least you can go 65 on the freeways...though 75 would still be perfectly safe.

[never_retreat]

Routes 78 and 80 through NJ are like that, any speed less than the road number and you looking to get cursed at and or flipped off.
I drove 95 through the center of philly at 4am a few years ago to pick someone up at the airport, everyone was in the 3 digit speeds. I liked it.

[Scout26]

I bet there would far fewer accidents if we simply got rid of interstate speed limits.  All they are there for is to generate revenue for the state/county/local .gov.

The safest roads and most relaxed I've been while driving was on the Autobahn in Germany.  Even though you have anything from trucks doing 60 mph to Lamborghini's doing Warp 9, not having to worry about the Polizei (and what fun it is to pass the bright green and white Polizei cars while doing 105 mph   ) and knowing that everyone followed the rules of the road* made driving fun and enjoyable.



* - Like staying the *expletive deleted* out of the left lane unless you were passing someone.  Once you passed them, you moved your ass back over to the right lane.  I always laughed at the soldiers that got hammered with a "Failure to Clear the Rear" ticket from the GP's for hanging out in the left lane like some folks do here in the states.  IIRC, that one was a several hundred DM fine as it was the cause of almost all the accidents on the Autobahn.   I so wish the cops here would enforce that one.

[charby]

* - Like staying the *expletive deleted* out of the left lane unless you were passing someone.  Once you passed them, you moved your ass back over to the right lane.  I always laughed at the soldiers that got hammered with a "Failure to Clear the Rear" ticket from the GP's for hanging out in the left lane like some folks do here in the states.  IIRC, that one was a several hundred DM fine as it was the cause of almost all the accidents on the Autobahn.   I so wish the cops here would enforce that one.

Cops would have to enforce that to make higher speed limits in many places. Keep right except to pass, I don't care if you think the inside lane is smoother, get the frog over!

I know Wyoming SP will gladly write you a ticket if you are driving in the right hand lane. Wasn't me, but someone I knew that loves driving in the right lane.

I'd also be in favor of making all interstates a minimum of three lanes and trucks and slow moving vehicles can not drive in the inside lane at all, or have a minimum speed no less than 5mph below the posted speed to use that lane. That way the vehicles governed at 62 or 65 mph can not use that lane to pass.

[drewtam]

Part of safe speed depends on what vehicle I'm driving. When I am hauling the family around in the minivan with awful OEM tire, I don't ever take it above the posted speeds (which is about 5-10mph too slow for traffic) and I just cruise the right lane. I don't trust the vehicle's tires. Anything above 70-75 starts to feel less stable than what I am used to, and I back off even its below the limit.

On the otherhand, the MSM with super grippy performance tires and good suspension feels right at home at 100mph on just about any uncongested interstate, and ~60-70mph on the cloverleafs. The brakes & tires are phenomenal and with appropriate reaction time distance feels like it can handle nearly any situation.

[Scout26]

I know Wyoming SP will gladly write you a ticket if you are driving in the right hand lane. Wasn't me, but someone I knew that loves driving in the right lane.

Are you in Britain?

[41magsnub]

Are you in Britain?

I was getting a little lost on that too.

I too am in favor of a recommended and minimum speed limit, but no top end speed limit except where it makes sense through towns and the like.  Sounds vaguely familiar to us in MT...  

Also, heavily ticketing left lane campers would be a very good thing.  Further, if you cause an accident by driving beyond the conditions or the capabilities of your car - then heavily penalize that as well.

We kind of have that here in MT now.  You have to really drive like a jackass or massively exceed the speed limit to get pulled over by the highway patrol on the Interstate. 

[Scout26]

Further, if you cause an accident by driving beyond the conditions or the capabilities of your car - then heavily penalize that as well.

"Speed excessive for road conditions"  was the catch-all charge for most one car accidents.  Even if the weather was clear and the road dry.  Unless alcohol was involved.

That one was several hundred DM also.  Plus you had to pay for all the damage you did to private and .gov property. 

I should tell the chicken story some time. 

[Viking]

"Speed excessive for road conditions"  was the catch-all charge for most one car accidents.  Even if the weather was clear and the road dry.  Unless alcohol was involved.

That one was several hundred DM also.  Plus you had to pay for all the damage you did to private and .gov property. 

I should tell the chicken story some time. 

Now is a good time.

[wmenorr67]

"Speed excessive for road conditions"  was the catch-all charge for most one car accidents.  Even if the weather was clear and the road dry.  Unless alcohol was involved.

That one was several hundred DM also.  Plus you had to pay for all the damage you did to private and .gov property. 

I should tell the chicken story some time. 

Damn thing shouldn't have tried to cross the road.

[Scout26]

Damn thing shouldn't have tried to cross the road.

Be that as it may, the chicken was found to be without fault in the matter.

[MechAg94]

I was going to post a bunch of stuff about Herding drivers plugging the left lane, but I'll leave it for now.

I tend to agree about raising speed limits.  Houston and surrounding couties are an EPA Ozone Attainment area or whatever and speed limits are 65.  Outside of that, speed limits are 70 or 75 almost everywhere.  I generally don't go much faster than 80, sometimes less.  I agree that some areas in towns where traffic can back up might need to slow down, but putting some warning lights at overpasses would help.

[KD5NRH]

My commute to Bellingham for grad school involves a solid 8 mile stretch of interstate that's posted 60mph, but I can't see any reason for it.  Once you get into Bellingham, sure, drop the speed limit (rural stretches are 70mph posted limits).  But dropping it 8 miles before you can tell there's even a city approaching is absurd.

I-20 eastbound into DFW; 75MPH and smooth sailing until you get to Parker County.  Then it drops to 65 a good ten miles before you get to Weatherford, and stays at that all the way into the city despite another 10-15 miles of relative desolation after Weatherford.  If you set the cruise at 75, ignore the signs, and manage to slip past the 6-8 troopers that always seem to be working Parker County, (yet for the 100 miles west to Abilene, you may not see another one) you might not even notice the change, since about 60% of the other traffic will be doing the same.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I bet there would far fewer accidents if we simply got rid of interstate speed limits.  All they are there for is to generate revenue for the state/county/local .gov.

The safest roads and most relaxed I've been while driving was on the Autobahn in Germany.  Even though you have anything from trucks doing 60 mph to Lamborghini's doing Warp 9, not having to worry about the Polizei (and what fun it is to pass the bright green and white Polizei cars while doing 105 mph   ) and knowing that everyone followed the rules of the road* made driving fun and enjoyable.



* - Like staying the *expletive deleted* out of the left lane unless you were passing someone.  Once you passed them, you moved your ass back over to the right lane.  I always laughed at the soldiers that got hammered with a "Failure to Clear the Rear" ticket from the GP's for hanging out in the left lane like some folks do here in the states.  IIRC, that one was a several hundred DM fine as it was the cause of almost all the accidents on the Autobahn.   I so wish the cops here would enforce that one.

they enforce it in West Virginia.

[charby]

Are you in Britain?

Left hand lane, dyslexic today.

[Perd Hapley]

I find it odd that we complain the most about speed limits for the type of road where speed limits are highest. It's the surface roads where speed limits really need to be raised.

I'm still trying to figure out how you people want me to drive, when I'm in the far left lane of a freeway. Let's say I'm in the right lane, on a four-lane (2 lanes each way) freeway. The speed limit is 70 mph, and I'm driving at about 73. I'm beginning to creep up behind the guy in front me, so I slip into the left lane, to pass. Since I'm driving only slightly faster than the other guy (and because people tend to wake up, and increase speed, when you start to go around them) it may take me a mile or two to get around this guy. Even if I speed up to 75 or 76. This is when people like to come along and start tail-gating.

I get the impression that people think you're supposed to go around the right-lane driver immediately, which in many cases means going ten or fifteen miles over the speed limit. I just checked the "Driver's Guide" for my state, and it specifically says not to exceed the speed limit while passing on a freeway. Personally, I've had enough speeding tickets. They are only getting more expensive, and I'm not getting another one.

And I still don't understand why the person who wants to break the speed limit is the good guy, and the guy driving at (or slightly above) the speed limit is the one who's the problem.