635 now 70mph (safety, design, cell phone)

[xS☺B☺s]

Yer all pretty macho. I've seen so many epic wrecks on that road - raising it to 70 is only gonna raise the body count. I'll avoid even more now.

Biggest prob I havd w it is a few on ramps I use r too short to spin up to 70+ before hitting the hwy. Plus the fact that people regularly pass on the right at 100mph, well whatever.

Ill bet more people die on 635 every year than the toughest ghettos in south dallas.

[LeagleEagleDFW]

I'm just disappointed it wasn't raised west of 35, which is the most open portion anyway.

[dch526]

Originally Posted by xS☺B☺s

Yer all pretty macho. I've seen so many epic wrecks on that road - raising it to 70 is only gonna raise the body count. I'll avoid even more now.

Biggest prob I havd w it is a few on ramps I use r too short to spin up to 70+ before hitting the hwy. Plus the fact that people regularly pass on the right at 100mph, well whatever.

Ill bet more people die on 635 every year than the toughest ghettos in south dallas.

If you knew anything about how and why the speed limits are raised you will also realize that it isn't raised to make people go faster, it is raised because people are already going that fast.

People flying by going 100mph will still fly by going 100mph. People who shoot across 3 lanes with no signal going 55 will still be doing it. People who drive the speed limit, use their signals properly and are overall safe drivers will still be safe drivers. These roadways were designed to create safe driving conditions up to a certain speed and those speeds have yet to be met.

Safety on an overall straight interstate highway is not dictated by the speed limit placed on the road. It's set by the drivers on the road. If the speed limit was 80 and everyone went 80 then it would be a lot safer road than if the speed limit was 60 and half the people are going 70, others going 55 while still others going 80+

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by dch526

If you knew anything about how and why the speed limits are raised you will also realize that it isn't raised to make people go faster, it is raised because people are already going that fast.

People flying by going 100mph will still fly by going 100mph. People who shoot across 3 lanes with no signal going 55 will still be doing it. People who drive the speed limit, use their signals properly and are overall safe drivers will still be safe drivers. These roadways were designed to create safe driving conditions up to a certain speed and those speeds have yet to be met.

Safety on an overall straight interstate highway is not dictated by the speed limit placed on the road. It's set by the drivers on the road. If the speed limit was 80 and everyone went 80 then it would be a lot safer road than if the speed limit was 60 and half the people are going 70, others going 55 while still others going 80+

Thank you.

[Cheesesteak Cravings]

Originally Posted by dch526

If you knew anything about how and why the speed limits are raised you will also realize that it isn't raised to make people go faster, it is raised because people are already going that fast.

People flying by going 100mph will still fly by going 100mph. People who shoot across 3 lanes with no signal going 55 will still be doing it. People who drive the speed limit, use their signals properly and are overall safe drivers will still be safe drivers. These roadways were designed to create safe driving conditions up to a certain speed and those speeds have yet to be met.

Safety on an overall straight interstate highway is not dictated by the speed limit placed on the road. It's set by the drivers on the road. If the speed limit was 80 and everyone went 80 then it would be a lot safer road than if the speed limit was 60 and half the people are going 70, others going 55 while still others going 80+

Exactly.

With Allison's logic, lowering the speed limit to 25mph on the highway would virtually eliminate accidents, but we know that is not true.

People we go as fast as they are comfortable with, period. Even if the speed limit were 80, I would likely only go 70 for long stretches because beyond that, my MPG's drop significantly. I would simply stay out of the left lane, and in a decent cruising lane. If Allison is afraid of higher speed limits, she can simply stay on local roads to get to her destination.

[BCB]

Originally Posted by octo

Just merge faster than 50mph.

If only it were that easy.

Throw in cell phones, Big Gulps, and other distractions along with undereducated drivers and you have a mess waiting to happen.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Originally Posted by BCB

If only it were that easy.

Throw in cell phones, Big Gulps, and other distractions along with undereducated drivers and you have a mess waiting to happen.

...which artificially-lowered speed limits will never fix. We really need better/tougher driver education and licensing.

[LeavingMA]

Raising the speed limit 5 mph isn't going to be an issue. The people who are more dangerous are the ones who try and merge getting on the highway doing 30 instead of 50+ plus. I remember seeing a study awhile back that said slow drivers cause just as much problems on the highway then fast drivers. If your going 50 mph when everyone else is going 70 mph, that 50 driver is pretty dangerous.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

My pet driving peeve is "left lane discipline", or lack thereof. Most freeways have 4 lanes on each side. If drivers followed the simple rule of "slower traffic to the right, passing only on the left", there would be plenty of asphalt and far fewer bottlenecks.

[Texas Minded]

I avoid 635 like the plague