Most inappropriate speed limits

[Duke87]

Any 55mph "State Speed Limit" in NYS outside of immediate downtown areas is inappropriate.

NY 17 disagrees. The 55 section through Delaware County is quite warranted. Trucks can't take the curves above 55 and I'd only go 65 on those curves in a car with good handling in dry weather during the day.

So then the speed limit there should be 65.

[vdeane]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

[bzakharin]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

[kphoger]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

Studies have shown that mentality actually does disappear or is greatly reduced once speed limits actually match what people really drive.

[Roadgeekteen]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

Studies have shown that mentality actually does disappear or is greatly reduced once speed limits actually match what people really drive.

Well try telling that to my Dad.

[kphoger]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

Studies have shown that mentality actually does disappear or is greatly reduced once speed limits actually match what people really drive.

Well try telling that to my Dad.

I don't really think we should be in the business of setting speed limits based on anecdotal driving styles.  There will always be people who drive above the speed limit and people who drive below it.  But it is also true that the majority of drivers won't go faster than they're comfortable going.  Set the speed limit at 130 mph, and the five-over crowd won't be driving 135 mph.

Back before speed limits were widespread in the western part of the country, people self-limited themselves to what seemed safe and prudent–which for the people I've talked to was usually around 70 or 80 mph, depending on the highway.

[UCFKnights]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

Studies have shown that mentality actually does disappear or is greatly reduced once speed limits actually match what people really drive.

Well try telling that to my Dad.

I don't really think we should be in the business of setting speed limits based on anecdotal driving styles.  There will always be people who drive above the speed limit and people who drive below it.  But it is also true that the majority of drivers won't go faster than they're comfortable going.  Set the speed limit at 130 mph, and the five-over crowd won't be driving 135 mph.

Back before speed limits were widespread in the western part of the country, people self-limited themselves to what seemed safe and prudent–which for the people I've talked to was usually around 70 or 80 mph, depending on the highway.

And even today, there are areas where you can tell there is absolutely no enforcement of speed. The flow of traffic is 15-20mph above the speed limit. I was just in certain areas of California where the speed limit was 65 and 55 for trucks/trailers and the flow of traffic was easily 85+. If you went 65 or god forbid 55 there is no doubt it'd flat out be dangerous the way you would be impeding traffic.

[slorydn1]

Exactly.  IMO the speed limit should be the fastest one should safely go - there should be none of this "the sign says 55 but we really mean 65-70" stuff that seems to be the norm around here.

The only problem is that that kind of mentality does not disappear if the speed limits go up. It's been that way too long.

Studies have shown that mentality actually does disappear or is greatly reduced once speed limits actually match what people really drive.

Well try telling that to my Dad.

I don't really think we should be in the business of setting speed limits based on anecdotal driving styles.  There will always be people who drive above the speed limit and people who drive below it.  But it is also true that the majority of drivers won't go faster than they're comfortable going.  Set the speed limit at 130 mph, and the five-over crowd won't be driving 135 mph.

Back before speed limits were widespread in the western part of the country, people self-limited themselves to what seemed safe and prudent–which for the people I've talked to was usually around 70 or 80 mph, depending on the highway.

^This, absolutely this^.


Heck the one time that I did have an 80 mph speed limit in west Texas I had the cruise set right at 80. Probably the only time in my 30+ years of driving that I ever had my cruise set right on the speed limit. I was in the 2004 f150 at the time and 80 seemed a bit high in the RPM range with a 4 speed auto.


My Mustangs are happiest at 77 mph. 3.31 rear gear and a very weak 6th gear ratio in the manual transmission has me right at 2000 rpm. Steady cruising above 80 absolutely kills my gas mileage, by about 2-3 mpg over cruising at 75. If freeway speed limits were set appropriately I don't think you would ever see me speeding, except maybe for going down hill every once in a while.


I am a believer that most speed limits in most locations are underposted. I do, however, believe that there are some places that are actually overposted-places where I actually do not feel comfortable trying to attain the speed limit and will drive under it. A prime example is my own street. It's posted 25, but its so narrow and the the driveways are so short that if a person rolls just a bit down their driveway before checking to see if it's clear there is no way to avoid them. I usually find myself doing 15-20 down  my street.

[thenetwork]

In my neck of the woods, Colorado does a good job.  Speed limits on CDOT-maintained highways (freeway and non-) are very reasonable and are fair.  Heck, they recently *raised* the speed limit on a stretch of I-70 in Debeque Canyon from 60 to 65 (Glenwood Canyon could also use a bump to 50, but I'm not greedy).

Off the freeway, they try to post the fastest speeds on good stretches of road, while only having minimal speed drops on short curvy or hilly sections.  Even the speeds through most towns on marked routes is reasonable.

My neighbor Utah does a good job on the interstates as well, but it needs to bump up the speed limits on some of the 2-laners to 70 or 75 at least in the eastern half of Utah.  I just drove most of the southern half of US-191, and I was pushing 80 with nothing around me.