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Vicki How true! I'm usually going about 73 mph and see allot of drivers passing me so they're already going way over the speed limit as is so now they'll be going faster once it's raise at 70 mph. Hopefully they'll be more police patrol but doubt it.
It's funny that I see more patrol on 64 going to Asheboro then anywhere else that I drive and I drive allot between High Point and Myrtle Beach.
Instead of raising the speed limit, they should put some $$$ towards road reflectors, drove to Wilson last night during the rain on 64/264 and could barely the road due to no reflectors, where's our road/gas tax going towards?
It does seem that reflectors don't get replaced - essentially just installed with new or resurfaced pavements. The plowing operations during the "snowstorm" two weeks ago removed many reflectors on the rural two lane roads around Raleigh.
In theory, raising the speed limit should raise gas tax revenues - after offsetting the new signage costs.
Speed studies have shown for decades that humans are most comfortable and engaged driving around 70 mph. When a speed limit is set at 55, many people will still drive around 70 mph, but when the limit is raised to 70, most people drive no faster than 80.
Cars have only gotten safer over the years, so increasing speed limits in some ways makes things safer since you reduce the speed differential across traffic and keep drivers more alert, so they aren't zoning out as the plod along.
Instead of raising the speed limit, they should put some $$$ towards road reflectors, drove to Wilson last night during the rain on 64/264 and could barely the road due to no reflectors, where's our road/gas tax going towards?
Scraping up reflectors during ice and snow is a common enough problem even in NC, but I guess the state DOT figures its cheaper and just as safe to use emulsion paint and to keep going around and gluing new ones down rather than bury them in the pavement.
Speed studies have shown for decades that humans are most comfortable and engaged driving around 70 mph. When a speed limit is set at 55, many people will still drive around 70 mph, but when the limit is raised to 70, most people drive no faster than 80.
Cars have only gotten safer over the years, so increasing speed limits in some ways makes things safer since you reduce the speed differential across traffic and keep drivers more alert, so they aren't zoning out as the plod along.
At any rate, I'm glad the limit was raised.
There has to be a point of diminishing returns. i.e. people going 15mph over on a 55mph vs people going 7mph over on a 70mph road.
But I always see slower drivers (at the speed limit or below) as the true problems on the road. You'll never see a person driving fast creating a traffic backup.
I'm usually going about 73 mph and see allot of drivers passing me so they're already going way over the speed limit as is so now they'll be going faster once it's raise at 70 mph. Hopefully they'll be more police patrol but doubt it.
My guess is that they will set up a speed trap at exit 4 when it will drop from 70 to 65. People doing 75 will then be 10 over if they miss the sign.
Cars have only gotten safer over the years, so increasing speed limits in some ways makes things safer since you reduce the speed differential across traffic and keep drivers more alert, so they aren't zoning out as the plod along.
After visiting Raleigh my first time over a year ago I thought the limit was too low. I don't feel increasing the speed limit will make people drive faster. Most people are doing 70-80 anyways.
Vicki How true! I'm usually going about 73 mph and see allot of drivers passing me so they're already going way over the speed limit as is so now they'll be going faster once it's raise at 70 mph. Hopefully they'll be more police patrol but doubt it.
It's funny that I see more patrol on 64 going to Asheboro then anywhere else that I drive and I drive allot between High Point and Myrtle Beach.
Instead of raising the speed limit, they should put some $$$ towards road reflectors, drove to Wilson last night during the rain on 64/264 and could barely the road due to no reflectors, where's our road/gas tax going towards?
I ride 540 towards raleigh every morning from Cary for many yrs. Yes, there are quite a few crazy ones that to 15 to 20+ over! Raising the speed limit is sending the wrong message. And when it rains, there are enough accidents.
When I first moved here from VA I was blown away at the high speeds on back roads. 55 mph on 401 (Louisburg) when it was a two lane road was incredibly fast to me, since in VA 264 was 55 on an 8 lane highway.
IMO 65 mph is plenty fast, going 10 over (75 vs 65) over a 15 mile highway trip saves under 2 minutes. For around town driving the change is moot and is purely psychological.
That being said I travel on 540 and there is no reason the speed couldn't be 70, it's a wide open road with much less traffic than on say 440, which incidentally has a lower speed limit IIRC (isn't it 60?) but if you do that you are rear ended. I notice on 540 most everyone is doing 65-70, where as on 440, which is significantly more congested, folks routinely do 75-80.
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