Poll: Should Highway Speed Limits Be Raised?

No amount of logic with make sense to him.

Why do more deaths occur where the speed is higher? Because a car flipping over at 30 mph is different than a car flipping over at 75 mph? A fender bender at 25 mph may cause a destroyed bumper but at 65 mph that fender bender is going to cause frame damage and possibly push the trunk into the backseat.

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This is my point exactly! Lol. So you are telling me, even if they raise the speed limit to 75-80mph, people would still drive at 65? Lol

85-95 is more likely.

We don’t know what point you are trying to make.

You are arguing a hasty generalization fallacy based on the media.

Media says speed causes accidents, accidents caused death.

Therefore speed causes death.

You are jumping to conclusions…

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Did you read this article?? These are hard facts!

And I never said speed causes accidents. I just said speed causes more deaths. Dont see how thats a false statement.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/higher-speed-limits-led-to-36760-more-deaths-study-shows/#:~:text=Higher%20Speed%20Limits%20Led%20to%2036%2C760%20More%20Deaths%2C%20Study%20Shows&text=The%20researchers%20from%20the%20Insurance,roadway%20fatalities%20rose%208.5%20percent.

Wow. I see the bar has been lowered around here.

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Come again?

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You can make small studies show a lot of things when you ignore the essential variable, in this case law enforcement. Look at Italy with their speed camera system. This system radically changed their highway driving speeds in a short period of time.

I’d agree that absent law enforcement people will gravitate towards a common speed on a road. But the consistent enforcement of the law will alter behavior. Speed cameras are the most effective but unpopular and procedurally difficult in America.

Facts you say? :thinking:

A funny explanation I heard that supports your point about speed being dangerous. If you asked most people to guess what state has the fewest fatalities per mile driven I’d doubt many people would say Massachusetts. But it is, and it’s not even that close. Is it primarily because Massachusetts drivers are the best most diligent drivers in USA or because of traffic and they are driving slower?

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This is anecdotal, but I grew up in the Northeast (Connecticut) and Massachusetts drivers outside of Boston were good drivers overall. No one was typically driving slower than the speed limit, but people did not hang out in the left lane and moved over after passing. If I saw someone with a NJ or NY license plate, I already knew they were not moving over and would purposefully drive below the speed limit in the left lane. They still act this way when I encounter them in Illinois.

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Penalties for driving slow in the left lane are not steep enough.
Controversial but driving slowly in the left lane should be a jail-able offense imo.

I agree that it should be enforced more and penalties larger, but no one should be arrested for a driving offense unless it is drunk driving or an extremely negligent action (i.e. road rage). What really solves a lot of these issues is stricter license requirements like mandatory drivers ed and road tests.

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Thing is in NJ driver’s ed is mandatory and so are road tests (which are a joke tbh).
There is a total lack of driving etiquette. Until we start throwing people in jail for a day or two for driving slowly in the left lane, I don’t we’re going to be able to curb that.
Technically NJ has a law on the books were the left lane is for passing only and that if you are found traveling in the left lane just cruising at the flow of traffic, you can be hit with an impeding traffic ticket. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that being imposed though.

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Illinois State Police tried cracking down on this a few years ago but I never heard of anyone getting a ticket.

NH and eastern CT generally have great drivers by US standards who generally keep right except to pass… until you get to within an hour of Boston and then all rules are off lol

If you look into it, it appears the real reason is a combination of MA drivers not being any worse than average, lower speeds, affluence and excellent medical care. Newer cars are so much safer than older cars and all things equal more affluence = newer cars. Metro Boston’s medical facilities also help turn what would be a fatality in most places into just a serious injury.

As for NY/NJ - I spend a lot of time in Central Jersey between exits 95 and 105 on the Parkway @M3-Fast will know what that means. Driving there isn’t that stressful. But heading north into the City on Garden State Parkway you get past Red Bank and it’s just like everyone flips a switch. People get so angry and aggressive.

My thoughts are yes they should be raised, the issues are drivers here compared to Germany with the autobahn don’t have as strict rules for getting a license. Additionally the roads in Germany specifically the autobahn are kept up very well. Here if you hit some of the dips, small Potholes and cracked asphalt at 85 or above it can really cause an accident.

Here is an idea, make the speed limits dynamic and governable in the car. This would be opt in, but would tie into insurance, allowing folks to save money, while enabling certain people to travel above current posted speed limits. This algorithm wouldn’t need to be too complicated and could pull from sensor already in modern cars.

The car could calculate and govern to the safest maximum speed based on:

  1. Predicted handling and traction from:
    A:Weather/Temperature: Rain, Snow, Sleet
    B:Handling ability of the car - Sports car or Full size SUV
    C:Condition of car: Tire wear, low tire pressure, etc.
    D:Tire type: Winter, All Season, Summer combined with temperature (appropriate tire for weather)
  2. Visibility: Fog, Rain, Night. How far ahead can the driver see?
  3. Driver ability to prevent an accident: Experience, demonstrated skill (high speed driving course) and age
  4. Accident likelihood: Whether the particular area of road is an accident hot spot
  5. Car Passive Safety, Likelihood of fatality in a crash: Safety ratings

As an example, driving at night may reduce max speed by 3 MPH on a highway, adding in rain may reduce it again by an additional 2 MPH. If a tire suddenly reads as low pressure, max speed could be reduced by 5 MPH until the tire is filled up.

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If I had my way, licenses would have further classifications. I spent some time and money to take the motorcycle safety foundation course to get my moto license. I spent some money and time and demonstrated a certain amount of knowledge and proficiency and got a license to carry a concealed firearm. Why can’t I invest some time and money and be licensed to drive at triple-digits? Sure, pay a higher insurance bill, submit to more-frequent road testing and tougher equipment standards, but I would be willing to do that.

This isn’t true. I’ve driven on very few highways/freeways where I felt that driving 85 MPH would be dangerous. The only ones I can think of are very narrow roads near the city (Pulaski Skyway, Goethals Bridge, etc.) Even driving on roads that aren’t great and have potholes, I’ve driven 85+ MPH no problem.

Yup, I find anything South of exit 9 on the TPKE or 105 on the GSP isn’t bad at all.

Hell, the Driscoll Bridge (Parkway over the Raritan River) is pretty good as well - Most cars typically travel at roughly 75 MPH, or almost double the 45 MPH speed limit.