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Re: Speed limits v actual spd



KENNY MORSE (kennystar@megaweb.com) wrote:

: In the zones here in California where the speed limit is 55, the 
: flow of traffic is somewhere between 65-75.

: In the areas where they RAISED THE SPEED LIMIT to 65,
: the average flow of traffic is 75->90.  If you're going to say
: that no matter what the zone, people will go at least 10mph
: + over the sign, I'll say RIGHT.  I KNOW THAT! My classes
: are FILLED with that.

The numbers don't support you.  I don't even think the CHP would promote
that view.  

Tell me, how fast do you drive on the street in front of your house?  Would 
you drive 10 mph faster if the speed limit were raised 10 mph?  I know I 
wouldn't, because the speed I drive is based on my perception of what's
safe.  

When it comes to freeways, I'd bet that any road with an 85th-percentile 
speed of 80 mph now had an 85th-percentile speed of 80 mph when it was 
posted at 55.  Besides, we're arguing the wrong point - on the freeway at
least, who cares how fast people are driving?  The real issue is whether 
they are hitting things more often if they do drive faster.  

If you took the speed limit signs down - completely did away with posted
speed limits over 75% of the freeway system - then put up speed limits where
necessary based on real safety requirements, I'd bet you'd have at least 65%
compliance - which is 100% more than you've got now.

55 has given us a Chicken Little syndrome - we (well, some of us already
knew it) have discovered that the sky does NOT fall when they hit 60, or 65, 
or even 85 in some places, so why should we pay attention to the limits at
all?  

John.


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