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I conclude that you have not driven on California freeways in the LA/Orange/San Diego areas. On the happy occasions that traffic is flowing freely--and that does happen regularly, actually, and not just in the middle of the night--the cops are going 80, too.
We drive pretty darned fast here in the Bay Area, but even I can't always keep up with the flow of LA traffic! And what's with speeding up ANY time another car approaches them? I'll just be minding my own business, going maybe 75mph, when the next car I reach suddenly thinks we're in a race... I usually just slow down and let them take off, unless I'm bored or something.
But yeah, I'd be very surprised if anyone got ticketed for going 80 in LA or San Diego. That's slow down there.
So then please explain how a road that goes through 4 towns and doesn't change in terms of traffic density, housing, schools, etc, might have 4 different speed limits, if speed limits are based only on safety and an engineers scientific studies?
Each town used a different civil engineer and speed limits were established at different times. Some were revised while some were not.
Engineering best practices can change over time, just like which treatments a doctor would choose. That's why continuing education is so important.
Typically, speed limits will only be revised when an intersection or segment of road is reported to have a high accident rate, school / gov't bldg built, or if a new cross road is coming through. Without cause, I don't believe there are periodic "reviews" of every single road for the sake of keeping them consistent.
A lot of folks out there drive poor handling vehicles (pickups, SUVs) and probably shouldn't be going much faster than 55. A good handling car feels like its standing still at 55 and can still make evasive maneuvers in an emergency. An SUV or truck, not so much. If everyone drove a decent handling car, I'd be on board with an 80mph+ speed limit. However, between distracted drivers and pickup/SUVs, 55 is closer to realistic, although 65 would be probably be OK.
I drive a 20 year old pickup 80MPH (on a 75MPH Interstate) on slightly oversized all-terrain tires with no issues.
Handling is irrelevant to speed limits (this isn't autocross), driver skill and attentiveness is.
Here is a Texas school revenue zone sign, 7:30 AM to 4PM, and no flashing lights. It's not even restricted only to school days. They can collect it on any weekday, even when school is not in session. And look at that. They add a cell phone prohibition for a second revenue stream. Apparently they couldn't collect enough revenue from speeders so they had to add something else to make it more profitable.
Cell phone use is prohibited, but talking on my CB radio is ok. Also, taking my eyes off the road to re-program my touchscreen apparently is a driving distraction without penalty.
Cell phone use is prohibited, but talking on my CB radio is ok. Also, taking my eyes off the road to re-program my touchscreen apparently is a driving distraction without penalty.
In most states it's perfectly legal for cops to have a radio microphone in one hand and a cell phone in the other hand while they drive. But they are the revenue collectors, so it's all good.
In most states it's perfectly legal for cops to have a radio microphone in one hand and a cell phone in the other hand while they drive. But they are the revenue collectors, so it's all good.
They have a full blown laptop in the front seat and instant message with each other.
Saw something wild, to me, on a Chicago freeway the other day.
Given I live in metro Seattle. Our freeways are I405, I5, and I90. The latter starts (ends?) at Safeco Field and ends (starts?) somewhere thousands of miles to the east in this great nation.
Our freeways are not huge, we could use more lanes. I usually don't see people belting along at any time of day; do so, you'll stand out and John Law will absolutely find you. I'm guessing given free flow of traffic, meaning odd hours (non-commute), all considered average speed on the I405 in town is 65-70mph. Not far from the speed limits. Likewise on I-5, ditto I-90, though the latter goes from 60 to a whoppin' 70mph limit a few miles east of town heading out to North Bend, 20 miles down the road in the Cascade foothills.
Now: to Chicago.
The I-90 between Schaumburg and O'Hare is what, six or seven lanes each way? Reminded me of Los Angeles! I drove that for a week, sometimes early and late. When open (non-commute), I swear median speed on that damn thing was approaching 80mph. Half faster, half slower. Never seen anything like it!
Posted limit is 60mph. That is the biggest natural disparity of actual vs. posted speeds I've yet seen on our freeways! Those going about 70...that being *me*, in my rental Camry...were right two or three lanes. There were people belting along at 80-85 in the No. 1 and 2 lane. Like, all the time, when traffic was mostly clear.
Had I been in my 911 GTS, I've have been sorely tempted to wick it up to 95-105mph, where the car "likes" to cruise, cue visions of the German Autobahn where they were designed to roam. Just can't do that in the US, though, or if you can I don't know where. I save that monkey business for waaaaaay out in rural WA State and Oregon.
They have a full blown laptop in the front seat and instant message with each other.
If the cops really truly cared about safety, rather then being hypocrites, they would set an example by requiring two cops in every car. One to drive and one to operate the tech. But we all know that what they really care about is filling their ticket quotas. Two cops in two cars can collect twice as much revenue as two cops in one car. Revenue comes first, safety second.
If the cops really truly cared about safety, rather then being hypocrites, they would set an example by requiring two cops in every car. One to drive and one to operate the tech. But we all know that what they really care about is filling their ticket quotas. Two cops in two cars can collect twice as much revenue as two cops in one car. Revenue comes first, safety second.
So you are okay with your taxes going up even more to pay for two officers in each vehicle? Gotcha.
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