speed limits

Skylark · Feb 17, 2003

What's your perspective on those particular set of laws that say how fast/slow we should/shouldn't go? Are these rules made to be broken? Do they have the legitimate authority to make these rules? Have you ever protested a speeding ticket, and if so, on what grounds?

mushroom · Feb 17, 2003

I speed a lot, but I am not proud of it. I generally drive 9 miles an hour over and have only received one speeding ticket in 24 years of driving. I never speed through neighborhoods or near schools, though. 
Sometimes the speed limit seems about right, or even to high...but more often, it is way too low. I have to drive about 5 miles on a two lane road, fields on both sides and a few houses set far back from the road. The speed limit is 30. Rarely do I come up behind anyone actually going that slow. It is ridiculous! Most go 40 - 45. 
I have never protested a speeding ticket, but I recently got out of one (on the above mentioned road) simply by apologizing to the cop.

1vegan · Feb 17, 2003

Speed limits: Yes, they have a right to set a max. speed. 
Do I speed, I used to (heavily) but the last years I dont drive to much and my skills are down, so I drive close to the speed limit. 
Imho the speed limit should somehow be measured to the driver skills of a person, but how are they going to control that? 
I think that on some roads, in some cases the speed limit could be higher. 
But if you are not familiar on that road, speeding could be dangerous. 
Speeding is bad for environment and does not necessarily mean you are at the point of arrival earlier. 
Ill not my personal records below, I did a lot of experimenting in the early 90s 
Allowed vs. max achieved (converted to miles) 
Within city limits: 31 / 102 
Country road: 50 / 124 
High way: 62 / 111 
High way2: 74 / 130 
No bragging, yes I might be nuts back then. 
Many people said I would die, but Im still alive, no high speed accidents though it sometimes was a close call. 
I was very alert back then. 
Rest assured: I don't do it any more. 
Edited: These speed records where set under conditions that I was sure not to hurt anyone. At times that I knew the riscs were low, in a area that I knew very well.

Joe · Feb 17, 2003

I believe/assume that the posted limit is reasonably related to the fastest speed that one can safely drive on that particular road, so I tend to drive at about the speed limit. 
Nashville has the highest number of deaths per miles driven of any major urban area in the US. (Or did the last time I checked.) I see too many deaths and accidents to have much temptation to speed. 
Believe it or not, I have never gotten a speeding ticket, and I have been driving for over 25 years. In contrast, my Dad had gotten himself three speeding tickets the first year he lived in Tennessee. My exGF used to get them all the time (and hide them from me). Her foot turned to lead as soon as she got behind the wheel of a car. 
Back in 1994, when we got a new computer, the old one was still working so I drove it down to Houston and set it up for my nephew. This was a 900 mile trip one way. I set the "cruise control" to the speed limit or the speed limit plus 5, thinking I would drive in the right lane and be passed off constantly. To my surprise, exactly the opposite happened during most of my trip. Yes, I was passing most of the traffic on the highways, which was going 5 or 10 mph below the speed limit. I almost could not believe it.

kpickell · Feb 17, 2003

I think they purposefully set the speed limit low because they know people are going to speed. If it's set at 75 they know people will go 80. I tend to drive 15 miles over the speed limit when on highways, and 5 miles over when in the city or with a cop in sight.

Robert · Feb 17, 2003

Speed limits are achieved by taking many factors into account, such as rollover thresholds of common vehicle types, common weather conditions that adversely affect road surfaces, the experience level of drivers, etc. The speed as posted is the speed at which drivers of varying levels of skills/experience should be able to safely operate their vehicle during normal (routine) driving conditions.

Thalia · Feb 17, 2003

Often speeding on long roads with lots of lights is pointless. The lights are timed, and I am always being passed by people who are weaving in and out of traffic, and then they speed ahead to the red light, stop, the light turns green, and here I am, never having to even slow down, there they are, stopped, as I cruise on by. Never speed up to a red light unless you are making a right on red. What a waste. 
If there is a road with a limit that is too low, and everyone goes faster, then it is safer to go with the flow of traffic, provided that the conditions are safe for that speed.

Michael · Feb 18, 2003

I generally do 4 over in town or on the highway. Sometimes if I'm going to Chicago I'll get behind someone that's going faster, usually not more than 10 over. 
The one place where I've found it's most important to obey the limits is on off-ramps. Some of them seem to be cutting it close as is.

luckiecharms · Feb 18, 2003

I think that speed limits are important for your own safety and the safety of others. I dont think people should be going really fast because its just dangerous. But most cops will let you go i think atleast 5 mph over the speed limit before stopping you.

RichBeBe · Feb 18, 2003

As a former motorcycle racer and as someone who has done I will remain silent on this subject and claim the fifth. 
P.S. On a motorcycle I have gone over 200 mph on a closed course.

Robert · Feb 18, 2003

200mph on a bike? geez, I once did 120mph on the highway on my old V-65 Magna several years ago and the wind coming at you at that speed was unbelievable. And then when my head angled upwards a bit and the wind got under the helmet, man... the force was pretty impressive. I cannot imagine hitting 200mph. 
I assume you were wearing the leather gear, the full-face helmet and all the other stuff to help lower wind resistance, correct? Still, the wind resistance at that speed must been pretty high.

Skylark · Feb 18, 2003

I read a news article in the last week in which a citizen insisted that all city speed limits should be raised to 55 because "Drivers do not go faster than they feel safe." While that may be true, who's to say that drivers' feelings are always accurate? Several times when driving on icy, snowy roads, I was certain that 10mph was a sufficiently cautious speed to be approaching an intersection, only to discover that I couldn't stop in time. Once last winter I slid through the entire intersection (on red), and I had been trying to stop for aprox. 500 feet. Just because I thought 10 mph was slow enough doesn't mean it was. 
Thalia definitely has a point--over half the time, speeding in areas with traffic lights does no good whatsoever.

1vegan · Feb 18, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by skylark I read a news article in the last week in which a citizen insisted that all city speed limits should be raised to 55 because "Drivers do not go faster than they feel safe." .</div>
</div>
 
Simply not true. 
It's very difficult to estimate the save speed. 
The majority of the people think they are good, experienced drivers and they can handle things. (wrong, so wrong) 
How many people deliberate drove of the highway, with on wheel on the tarmac and one on the grass with 40 mph to know how it feels? (I did) 
How many people try an emergency stop to test the car and the tarmac? 
If something goes wrong people tend to hit the brakes and wait and see what happens. 
In some cases it's best to release the brakes and slide around it, but most people dont dare to do that.

Skylark · Feb 18, 2003

What's a tarmac, 1vegan? Is that the shoulder of the road?

Joe · Feb 18, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by skylark What's a tarmac, 1vegan? Is that the shoulder of the road?</div>
</div>
 
Tarmac is the most commonly used material to pave roads in the US and Europe, AFAIK, and thus has become synonymous with the road or the road surface. <a href="http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?tarmac" target="_blank">http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?tarmac</a> 
Main Entry: tar·mac 
Pronunciation: 'tär-"mak 
Function: noun 
Etymology: from Tarmac, a trademark 
Date: 1919 
: a tarmacadam road, apron, or runway 
Main Entry: tar·mac·ad·am 
Pronunciation: "tär-m&-'ka-d&m 
Function: noun 
Date: 1882 
1 : a pavement constructed by spraying or pouring a tar binder over layers of crushed stone and then rolling 
2 : a material of tar and aggregates mixed in a plant and shaped on the roadway

kirkjobsluder · Feb 18, 2003

I think speed limits are one of those "fuzzy" laws. No one is going to care if you bend the law by %5-%10 but more than that you start creating a hazard. 
Personally, I think it depends on context. A few months ago I almost got hit pulling out of a driveway by an ******* who popped over the hill doing 50 in a residential neigborhood. (And then the freakazoid had the nerve to get pissed off because I forced him to swerve.) I see less danger in doing 80 on a deserted interstate in Illinois than doing 40 in a 30 mph zone.

Skylark · Feb 19, 2003

Joe, 
Wow, that's a bit more info than I wanted. I'm surprised that when I worked for the city street department two summers ago, they never told me that. Of course, they were a bunch of do-nothings and idiots, so I'm not really that surprised.

GhostUser · Feb 19, 2003

In all honesty, I could care less about highway speed limits. I mean, I obey them within five or so miles, but I don't care about others reasonably speeding, if that makes sense. There are three lanes on the interstate and I just stay out of the fast one generally. The thing that REALLY PISSES ME OFF is speeding through residential areas. The speed limit in my neighborhood is 25mph, yet folks plow through here like it's the effin' raceway. I hate hate hate it.

GhostUser · Feb 19, 2003

I got a speeding ticket at 6.20 am on Christmas morning just passed, and got the flashing lights and all by the cop <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

1vegan · Feb 19, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by FemmeDemonica reasonably speeding, if that makes sense. There are three lanes on the interstate and I just stay out of the fast one generally.</div>
</div>
 
But what is reasonable? 
I did 100 where 60 was allowed. 
I think most people don't realise the risk of speeding. 
I see people driving while tapping on the steering wheel, humming along with the radio: that's not my idea of an aware driver. 
If you speed, better be damn aware that others don't see you, cannot estimate your speed and think you'll be able to stop in time. 
Have you ever heard some one say: I didn't pay attention? 
All I ever hear is "he just came out of no-where, just like that!" 
People drive to fast, because they have a false sense of safety. 
People think their car is a safe one, I worked near a bodyshop and been in junkyards....I gives another view on safety. 
When I do stupid things, I know the riscs I'm taking. 
I anticipate. THE keyword in driving: ANTICIPATE! 
Skylark: what is the "normal" word for the black stuff the road is made of?

speed limits

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