Speed limits

[Chris]

I always wondered why many eastern U.S. states have such slow speed limits. In Europe, most countries have a maximum speed limit of 75 / 80 mph on their freeways, unless posted otherwise (mostly 60 - 65 mph in denser urban areas).

I always notice those 65 MPH signs in rural areas of many states, like Illinois or Oregon, I would almost fall asleep with such crawling speeds... Is there a specific reason for it?

Especially suburban areas of U.S. metropolitan areas almost look like rural areas due to the absence of houses or buildings next to the roadway.

In contrary, truck limits in Europe seems to be lower than in the U.S., most trucks are limited to 50 / 55 MPH in Europe on freeways.

[Voyager]

In the 1980's the speed limits were limited to 55 in every part of the state of California. That did not last. The speed limits are 70 in some places, but 65 for the most part. Not very many people go that slow, though.

[agentsteel53]

some of it has to do with the national 55mph speed limit of 1973 (to conserve gasoline), but even before then, some US states were rather slow.  For example, I think it's still on the books that, unless otherwise posted, Massachusetts's speed limit is 40 mph.

how well are speed limits enforced in Europe?  Here, it's a total guessing game.  For example, the central valley of California is posted at 70, and nobody does under 80.


Nevada state highway 140 - I don't think the highway patrol even knows it exists!

[Bryant5493]

There's no real reason, especially on wide open roads that were made for speeds of at least 70 mph. In Atlanta, every freeway within I-285 is posted at 55 mph. This is how I see posting speeds, at least in Atlanta.

Downtown Connector (I-75/85): 60 mph, because of all of the traffic.
I-285: 65 mph. 55 mph is too slow. I can travel at 70 to 75 easily. Speeds are usually in excess of 85.
SR 166 (Langford Parkway): 60, maybe. 60s-era design is dangerous, so 55 may be appropriate.
I-20 (between I-285 -Westside and I-285 - Eastside): 65 mph. I-20 between I-75/85 and SR 280 is posted at 50, the lowest speed limit on a freeway inside of I-285.
I-85 South Southside (between SR 166 and the Union City city limit): 65 mph. Speed drops to 55 mph for no real reason, coming northbound on I-85.
I-75 North (between Downtown Connector and I-285): 65 mph. No reason to have a cap of 55 mph.


Politicians seem to cap speeds because of smog. I think that's foolishness, personally.


Be well,

Bryant

[Chris]

how well are speed limits enforced in Europe?  Here, it's a total guessing game.  For example, the central valley of California is posted at 70, and nobody does under 80.

It depends from country to country. The chances of getting a fine on the freeway in Europe isn't that big. 40% of the German freeways (Autobahn) have no speed limits at all, so sometimes people fly by at 120+ mph, though most people do not exceed 100 mph.

I usually drive between 75 and 80 mph. I do care about my gas mileage due to our insane fuel prices
I actually have never gotten a ticket on the freeway in any country in Europe.

[agentsteel53]

there are speed cameras everywhere in Norway, but then again I didn't go on the freeways.  Just little rural roads with speed limits 80 or 90 km/h.  Other people blew right through the camera traps; I have no idea how people know which ones are working and which ones are not.

[Chris]

Norway's fines are incredibly high I heard, and speed limits are only 55 mph on freeways too... In Finland, they calculate your fine on your income, so if you earn 50 k pear year, your fine is considerably higher than when you earn 20 - 30 k per year.

[Bryant5493]

^^ (agentsteel53) Taking they're chances, rolling the dice. I don't think I'd be so bold, though (lol).


Be well,

Bryant

[aswnl]

In NL some roads have section-control, especially on 80 km/h (50 mph) zones. That means a fine garantueed when speeding.
Although speed limits are 100 km/h (62 mph) and 120 km/h (75 mph), I mostly drive at 130-140 km/h (80-88 mph).
No speeding tickets received until now - let's keep it that way...  

[Revive 755]

Politics.  That's why they speed limits vary so much from state to state.

[vdeane]

I think truck/night limits may have something to do with it.  When Texas raised the speed limit on some roads to 80 mph and some photos were posted I noticed that they had separate speed limits for cars, trucks, and at night.  Here in the northeast we don't have that.  Everyone obeys the same speed limit no matter what vehicle they drive and what time of the day it is, so the speed limits are set for tractor trailers driving at night.

Politics also plays a part.  When many of the roads were raised to 65 mph in NY ten years ago, some of the areas where the speed was raised were clearly raised only so politicians could get re-elected (I-390 in Henrietta and I-81 in Syracuse come to mind).

[Tarkus]

Nevada state highway 140 - I don't think the highway patrol even knows it exists!

Was checking that one out (and Oregon 140) on StreetView a few weeks ago.  Looks like a very fun stretch of highway, and one of these days I'll get out there.

As far as Oregon's speed limits go, they are indeed pathetically low, much to my extreme annoyance.  There have been several bills since the full repeal of the NMSL in 1995 to raise the speed limit.  The initial ones would have raised it to 75mph (what Oregon's limit was before the NMSL), and they all passed the House and Senate with flying colors only to get vetoed by then-Governor Kitzhaber every time.

Technically, a bill did become law a couple years ago to allow 70mph speed limits on Interstates, but it left it to ODOT's discretion rather than mandating that 70 zones be posted.  Hence, it's still stuck at 65, though, because ODOT and the trucking industry were at odds as to whether the truck speed limit should be 60 or 65 in the 70 zones. 

The Interstate thing is not the most pathetic thing, either--it's the fact that all non-Interstates are still stuck at 55mph.  Even the stretches of US 20, 97, 95, etc. that are way out in the middle of the desert, and really ought to be 65 or 70 zones.  (One of the 75mph bills in the 90s had a provision to raise the non-Interstate maximum to 70.)  

The one thing Oregon gets right, though, is getting rid of the word "limit" on speed limit signs.  Makes it far easier to read the number, I find.

[deathtopumpkins]

Here once you leave the heavily developed portions, around Hampton Roads Center Pkwy (I-64 Exit 261), the speed limit increases from 55 to 60, and then once you leave the improved section of 64, at VA-143 (Jefferson Ave. - Exit 255) the speed limit increases to 65. That's the speed on every stretch of interstate in VA that I can find except for I-95 and I believe I-85 both south of Richmond. But the average speed everyone drives around here, even in the 55 zones, is only about 85, which is much slower than what I've observed elsewhere.

As for raising non-interstate speed limits, we have a few other roads around here that are 55, including Hpt. Rds. Ctr. Pkwy., Victory Blvd. (VA-171 - Notable as it's a 2-lane road), Magruder Blvd./Hampton Hwy. (VA-134), and then a few farther out in the rural areas like US-17 (Geo. Washington Mem. Hwy.), but with one of them being a 2-lane road and the others 4-lanes with heavy traffic at almost all times, I really don't think a higher speed limit would even be very effective. Seems a little bit unnecessary.

[Alex]

Utah raised its maximum speed limit to 80 on some stretches of freeway recently.

[SimMoonXP]

I still remember I-15 freeway in Miramar and Miramar in back in November 1995, as newly posted for 65 MPH signage due before was 55 MPH back then.

[Bryant5493]

Utah raised its maximum speed limit to 80 on some stretches of freeway recently.

Here's an article and a video that compliments what you just wrote.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5241169


I'd like to drive there. 80 is fine by me.


Be well,

Bryant

[vbdenny]

When the Arab oil embargo occured by in the early 1970's. President Nixon imposed a national 50mph speed limit.  In a short time, it was raised to 55mph which became the national standard for years to come. The only reason why speed limits are not higher is because of the significant income earned by localities from speeding tickets.  In reality, traffic does flow much faster than indicated by the limits.

[Bryant5493]

^^ Don't say that. 50? Dear God!


Be well,

Bryant

[Alex]

All of Interstate 95 in Delaware is signed with a 55 mph speed limit. Its almost impossible to find one driver do the 55 mph speed limit during free-flowing traffic conditions. When Interstate 495 was granted 65 mph status, an agreement was made that all signage would include "Strictly Enforced" placards. That was the caveat given to those opposed to the increase. The Delaware 1 turnpike also has a 65 mph speed limit.

[Greybear]

In West Texas,  both I-10 from El Paso to Kerrville and I-20 from its split from I-10 to Monahans, have a speed limit of 80 mph, although trucks have to keep it at 70 mph. That nighttime speed limit of 65 is still in effect as well.

[ComputerGuy]

WA's max. speed limits are 70 mph on 4-lane stretches of I-5 north of where I live

[haljackey]

IMO, all modern highways should have a speed limit of 130km/h.  Older ones with less safety features could still go as high as 110km/h.

[vdeane]

I-87 in Clinton County is signed as 110 km/h and 65 mph (due to proximity to Quebec).  I wonder which is enforced (110 km/h is 68 mph).

[US71]

There's no real reason, especially on wide open roads that were made for speeds of at least 70 mph. In Atlanta, every freeway within I-285 is posted at 55 mph.

Arkansas is 55 on 2-Lanes, 60 (occasionally 65) on divided 4Lanes, 70 on Interstates (except metropolitan areas which are 60-65)

[agentsteel53]

Texas has a county-by-county rule that allows for a maximum speed limit of 65, 70, or 75, depending on the county's population density, if the road is considered "rural".  this leads to some quite grand speed limits, like 75 on US-285 (a two-lane road in the middle of nowhere) and 70mph on US-290 coming into Austin (an undivided four-lane expressway with driveways and cross streets at grade, and more deer than you can shake a Winchester at).

80mph is just an added bonus by the legislature that allows the 75mph counties to be 80 on the interstates.  Good times.