Research suggests higher speed limits may mean safer roads!

Well the majority of the people who drive on US highways drive alone, and those who don't should just stay closer to the right except to pass unless they can juggle conversations with the passengers at the same time and drive fast. Plus some people here are too scared to go faster than 55. Like my aunt and uncle who actually drive lower than the set speed limit that hold up traffic when the rest of traffic is at least traveling more than 70 mph. The whole driving with the flow of traffic is stupid since cops pull you over for speeding anyway when everyone else is as well. I digress.
 
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If stricter driving laws could be put in place in the US that were actually enforced, and stricter driving tests were done, and if roads were maintained to a higher level, then I think studies like these could become relevant, but there is just too much not in place in the US for high speed limits to be introduced.

I certainly feel comfortable with my driving abilities to do high speed highway driving, but not in everyone's.
 
Blind_Io said:
Utah has several sections on I-15 that are posted at 80 mph. It's fantastic because I pretty much do 80 mph outside of town (normally 75 mph) anyway on trips back to LA. The only time I limit myself to < 75 mph is in bad weather or when I'm in X, which I don't like driving over 75 that much.

People drive pretty much the same speed regardless of speed limit here, they rely on other drivers and radar detectors to sniff out the cops - and just playing the numbers hoping you won't be the one pulled over. Utah is experimenting to see if increasing the limit increases the speed of the traffic, so far they've pretty much found that people are going the same speed (about 80 mph) regardless of speed limit.
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+1 it's not just Utah either (where one may argue that lack of traffic is to blame). Any time you get on I-95 90% of the traffic is doing 75-80 and the limit is 55-65 depending on where you are. You will get a few people going slower and a few people going faster, the police doesn't bother stopping you if you are going with the flow of traffic they concentrate on those who are way over the limit. Same thing happens on Sunrise Hwy once you hit the section with no traffic lights. Normal speed on that road is around 90 or so, I've gone over a 100 on it and was barely passing people, I WAS passing them but speed difference was maybe 5mph. The speed limit is around 65 or so. The way the road is there is no room for cops to hide so people drive as they feel.
 
Two words: West Texas.

Lots of flatness with nowhere for cops to hide.

Also, I like the idea of higher speed limits, but I think it needs to coincide with making it harder to get a license. It's WAY too easy here as it is.
 
Funny how this went completely unnoticed in the Australia media. :|

I concur with the article. I find that I'm a lot more alert when doing 150km/h than I am at 110km/h. In a modern car, 110km/h feels a lot slower than it is, therefore one becomes bored and complacent. I suspect that crashes caused by driver fatigue would drop substantially should more sensible speed limits be adopted. That will never happen, as the various State Governments in Australia are addicted to motorist revenue.
 
tone76 said:
That will never happen, as the various State Governments in Australia are addicted to motorist revenue.
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Do what Denmark did. Raise speed limit from 110 to 130, but also enforce high fines. Their lowest speeding fine is 67?.
 
Another thing about higher speed limits is that I'm less worried about cops and paying more attention to the road. When I'm really bombing trying to make time across the desert I'm on high alert for any signs of police. I'm scanning for hiding spots, looking miles ahead for overpasses and clumps of trees, and watching for other cars panic-braking as they pass a hidden speed trap. Although I can make good time, it is exhausting and I have to frequently drop my speed down and take a rest.

In the sections with higher limits I find that I make better time and I'm more aware of traffic around me because I'm not devoting my attention to looking for possible speed traps, I come out the other side more relaxed and my journey is shortened so I'm not fighting fatigue late in the day.
 
narf said:
As long as you stay over 85 :tease:
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Actually, in my opinion, if you don?t feel comfortable above 100 under normal conditions, you just shouldn?t be driving a car.

tone76 said:
That will never happen, as the various State Governments in Australia are addicted to motorist revenue.
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That?s not the problem. In Germany they make plenty of money with speeding, even though our fines are ridiculously low compared to our neighbours. No matter what the limit is, some people will always go faster.

The problem is that most people won?t be willing to accept the logic that this is actually safer. And it?s probably almost impossible to prove it scientifically. And then there?s evil carbon dioxide and ecomentalists, which will probably put a limit on the Autobahn within a few years.
 
figures... The concept of increasing speed within cities being safer did seem a bit odd.
 
otispunkmeyer said:
Not really related, but I remember a TV ad here in the uk of a slo-mo of a car braking to avoid hitting a kid. In the ad they say if he was doing 30mph he would of stopped here, but as he was doing 35 he's gone and nailed this kid on the front of his rover. The funny thing was, the damn car had smoke billowing from its tyres.... i.e. no ABS. Im not that old and I certainly cant of been less than 14-15 at the time else I wouldnt of remembered the advert. So they showed what a car with no ABS will do, when in reality most cars had ABS at the time and would of stopped no problem. Infact, I bet even from 30mph, slamming the brakes with no ABS, he still would of noshed the child.
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They had a similar advert here in Adelaide where a woman steps out in front of a car going 60kph. At 50kph they say, the car would've avoided the accident. Or, as most people seemed to agree, if the silly woman was looking where she was walking there wouldn't be an accident :p

Looks like the study was a prank.

http://jalopnik.com/#!5756180/how-a-...d-the-internet
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The fact the study was done in Adelaide was a red flag for me. Most insitutions are in bed with the government here, so no way a study would be allowed to say higher speed limits could reduce accidents.
 
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That's it. Limit all cars to two miles per hour, for the childrens!
 
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