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OTOH, if you set it at 85, they'll drive 95, which the road wasn't designed for.
Roads are generally designed to a standard 15% higher than their speed limits reflect, although imo that is an incredibly conservative figure. If the speed limit is 85, the road can easily handle 100mph+ speeds.
Modern cars are much more capable and comfortable at higher speeds than in years past, but drivers will generally only go as fast as they feel comfortable going. People stick pretty close to the speed limit in my neighborhood because there are trees right next to the road, the lanes are narrow (just barely enough room for two cars to pass in opposite directions), intersections have poor sightlines, and the like.
However, on many of the suburban parkways near me, drivers were already going 15-20mph over the speed limit with regularity prior to Covid-19. These are relatively recently-designed and built roads, engineered to be safe and handle traffic for decades to come. Lanes are VERY wide, curves are gradual, trees are set far back from the road, sightlines are excellent, etc, which is great on paper, but there is nothing to make drivers feel uncomfortable. And when drivers are comfortable, they drive
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Except that if you're going faster than everyone in the lane to the right of you, how are you supposed to slam on the brakes to weave in behind someone, only to pass them again 5 seconds later, rinse and repeat, for miles?
If there are tons of cars bunched up in the right lane, there is no point in moving over between every single one of them. Pass whoever is going considerably slower than you, and then move over so that person behind you can pass. I don't understand why this is an issue.
If there are tons of cars bunched up in the right lane, there is no point in moving over between every single one of them. Pass whoever is going considerably slower than you, and then move over so that person behind you can pass. I don't understand why this is an issue.
And if they're all going slower and there's plenty of traffic? That's the issue.
Only a small number of states have 80mph limits, unlike entire countries in Europe which have 81mph limits. Many states still only have 65mph limits on freeways.
Lol, entire countries do not have such limits, you really think all of say Sweden has an 80 mph speed limit?
Only small parts of the over all highway systems have such speed limits.
In addition to this, if I recall correctly, the oil embargo/crisis prompted the federal government to enact a "national speed limit" of 55 mph in 1974. From what I have read, 55 mph is the optimal speed in terms of car efficiency when you account for drag from moving through the air. The speed limit was only mandatory in the sense that states would not get federal highway dollars if they had speed limits above 55mph (they were free to forego the money if they wanted higher limits). In 1995, the US Congress and the President repealed that requirement, so now we have 70 and 80 mph limits.
Many states have not returned speed limits to pre-55 levels for revenue generation purposes. Oregon, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas are examples.
Interstate speed limits are generally based on two things; what the cars are designed to handle, and what the road is designed to handle. Modern cars have much higher limits than older cars, and are much safer and more capable at higher speeds than in decades past (which is what many speed limits are still partly based on). My GTI handles 100mph+ like a champ. Additionally, most speed limits are set at 85% of what the road is designed for, which is stupid; if you design a road to comfortably handle traffic at 85 mph, and then post a speed limit of 70 mph, people will drive closer to 85 mph because it feels relatively safe and comfortable to do so.
Last Christmas day, I was on I-85 outside of Greensboro en route to Charlotte. That particular part of I-85 was built very recently and has 3-4 lanes in each direction, as well as a 70 mph speed limit. There wasn't much traffic, and I was cruising along at 90-95, but was passed by numerous "trains" of cars all going 100-110 mph. Strange thing was that I felt completely comfortable at those speeds, which are probably closer to what the road can actually comfortable handle than its arbitrary 70 mph speed limit implies.
I just hope a deer doesn't jump out in the road. Although at 70 mph that's not going to be good, but it's just going to be that much worse at 90-110 MPH. Also, a tire issue is going to be much worse at those speeds.
As far as the way speed limits are set, a "Traffic Engineering 101" concept is the 85th percentile speed being a benchmark for how speed limits should be established.
I just hope a deer doesn't jump out in the road. Although at 70 mph that's not going to be good, but it's just going to be that much worse at 90-110 MPH. Also, a tire issue is going to be much worse at those speeds. [/url]
With all the variables and not being on a closed circuit race course, speeds at 90+ are unthinkable.
Basic common sense should be enough to tell us that.
Perhaps the minimum age for getting a driver's license should be bumped up to about 35, and only after a 4-year long rigorous training session like getting a degree. That, and still require every single road-approved vehicle to be governed at 70mph.
As far as the way speed limits are set, a "Traffic Engineering 101" concept is the 85th percentile speed being a benchmark for how speed limits should be established.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by Electrician4you
Average speeds out here Riverside LA and OC seems to average 75. With the sprinkling of idiots trying to touch 100 mph.
I once got a ticket for 40 in a 25, in the Bay Area. I went to traffic school and the CHP officer teacher said that they won't even bother ticketing unless more than 10 MPH over the limit, because so many are speeding. They just go for the major offenders (most dangerous, biggest fines).
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Although at 70 mph that's not going to be good, but it's just going to be that much worse at 90-110 MPH. Also, a tire issue is going to be much worse at those speeds. 
