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Why it's set at 55 m.p.h...




   I've been following the thread about speeders FYI and I think everyone 
who posted a followup is missing a very important point.  The fact that 
the speed limit is 55 is not to _increase_ revenue.  It's not a silly 
speed limit, even though everyone exceeds it.  

   The state and the legislature, believe it or not, actually are 
concerned about highway safety.  It costs far more money to clean people 
off the road after an accident than is gained in ticket revenue.  There 
are two reasons why fines are collected:
  1) as a deterrent to excessively exceeding the speed limit
  2) to create a source of income to offset the costs of maintaining, 
patrolling, and providing emergency services on highways.

   What you all are failing to realize is that highways and other roads 
generate a great deal of expense for the states charged with caring for 
them.  Some of this is paid by the federal government, some by gas taxes, 
some by ticket revenues, and some by other income sources.  That's why 
there are fines for speeding: to encourage more modest speeds and recoup 
some of the cost of having roads in the first place.

   That said, let me address the issue of the 55 m.p.h. speed limit.  Of 
course no one under 70 years old does the speed limit.  Of course the 
police and the state don't expect drivers to obey the speed limit.  What 
they DO expect is that most drivers will stay within several miles per 
hour of the limit.  The Dept. of Transpotation does ongoing tests on 
highway speed, constantly reevaluating the average speed and safety of 
various roads. 

   For example, let's assume the average highway driver will exceed the 
posted speed limit by 10 m.p.h.  If we want traffic to flow at 60, we'll 
set the speed limit for 50.  If we want people to do 40, we set it at 
30.  When someone is travelling at a far greater speed, we'll ticket 
them, with a higher fine and point total with higher excesses.  Have you 
noticed that 9 m.p.h. over the speed limit nets you one point and 10 nets 
you 2? Have you noticed that 25 over nets you 5? (I think)  

   The speed limits and fines are set so as to control the average speeds 
on the highways and to deter greatly exceeding them.  Revenue is an 
issue, but it goes to support the great cost of having roads in the first 
place.  However, not even politicians are cynical enough to sit back and 
say, "Hahaha, we'll make the speed limit 25 so we can make a lot of 
money!"  Usually, very low speed limits are set in an attempt to reduce 
the number of accidents and injuries on particularly accident-prone 
stretches of road, not as a tricky way to get your money.  If the state 
needs more money, there are far better and more efficient ways to get it 
than to have a $20/hour cop pull you over and spend 15 minutes writing a 
$70 ticket--things called TAXES.  

   Get over your paranoia.  Speed limits are set to reduce operating 
costs and fines are set to discourage exceeding the limits by great amounts. 

         ~~~~     Jonathan
        ~c--oo    thonhazz@clark.net
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