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I also agree that speed limits should be set by the states.
This is a diverse country and individual states should be allowed to set speed limits------if one state was to set a 120 mph speed limit, than maybe the fed govt could gently persuade that state that perhaps that may not be a wise decision.
I remember the days of the national 55 mph speed limit------that made taking a long trip incredibly frustrating and cut into your actual vacation time. I do believe clearly defined speed limits save lives, but yikes 55mph too slow----I think 70 mph is fine.
This is why I am glad to be a private pilot. My airplane can move me just nicely across the land and their are no speed limits. It does cost a bit to fly though and I am limited to the occasional flight. Still if I want to head out to Arizona to see my parents and I want to be there in a short amount of time I can hop in the plane and fly there and no one will be giving me a ticket. LOL
Then again I am limited to where I can end my trip. I do have to get that thing out of the sky you know, and I prefer to walk away after it lands.
If you are against a national agency to keep children from prickly plants like thistle and cactus, you obviously hate children. Its got to be a national or super national agency or you obviously don't care. For example, I don't feed my pets anything because even though I am right there, I promote the WWFYFP(We Will Feed Your Freakin Pet) national agency.
I also agree that speed limits should be set by the states.
This is a diverse country and individual states should be allowed to set speed limits------if one state was to set a 120 mph speed limit, than maybe the fed govt could gently persuade that state that perhaps that may not be a wise decision.
Actually, I believe that during the time that Montana had "reasonable and prudent" as their interstate speed limit, the number of both fatal accidents and overall total accidents both went down.
As others have said, most drivers find a reasonable safe speed when driving on the interstate, regardless of posted speed limits. The problem comes in when some people are comfortable with a speed that is outside of the range where most other drivers are driving. If 90% of the people on the road are traveling at between 100 and 120 mph, the 10% who are driving faster or slower than that cause the accidents. If you are driving 55 in that case, you are one of the most dangerous things on the road.
It isn't the speed itself that is the biggest danger, it is the diversity of speed.
If you make the speed limit absurdly low (like 55 mph) you are going to get a larger diversity, as some comply with the law, while others drive at a reasonable speed for conditions, which is often closer to 70-80. That will lead to more accidents.
I would also like to point out that it is possible we aren't all talking about the same sort of road. I support higher speeds on interstates, which we typically call freeways out here. Some have mentioned highways, but out here, a "highway" often has intersecting streets, rather than onramps or overpasses. Intersecting streets require lower speed limits, so 55 is much more reasonable there, and lower going through towns. So when I'm talking higher speeds, I'm specifically talking about roads with onramps/overpasses, and NOT roads with intersections.
The individual states and local circumstances (traffic density, open distances, road conditions) are far better determinant factors for what is appropriate.
There's no "one size fits all" to this.
Even in the era of national 55 mph, my BMW's were geared and cam'ed to run efficiently at 72-75 mph. I got 5 mpg better fuel economy at 72 mph than I did at 55 mph with a 1972 BMW 2002.
[quote=Lacerta;25053299]Actually, I believe that during the time that Montana had "reasonable and prudent" as their interstate speed limit, the number of both fatal accidents and overall total accidents both went down.
quote]
And when Montana implemented a 75mph speed limit, accidents went up. Speed limits down, accidents up.
Speed limits are SUPPOSED to be set based on 85th percentile measured vehicle speeds, as measured by traffic engineers.
let the free markets control the price, what do you want to be soviet russia with a planned central economy? If so you can be quite happy as Obama is quickly bringing us there...(and Romney won't be much if any better)
If anything oil is overpriced with entities like Opec ensuring they don't sell it too cheap.
By price properly, I meant price it at fair market value without any regulation. Oil is underpriced because the price it protected by regulation. Let's remove regulation on oil futures and let the oil price settle at its fair value.
Anyways, this shouldn't be a discussion about oil prices. I was just countering the idea of the government controlling what cars people drive.
By price properly, I meant price it at fair market value without any regulation. Oil is underpriced because the price it protected by regulation. Let's remove regulation on oil futures and let the oil price settle at its fair value.
Anyways, this shouldn't be a discussion about oil prices. I was just countering the idea of the government controlling what cars people drive.
That will work so long as a cartel does not form. Otherwise the market price goes bye bye in lieu of the cartel's top of the profit curve....on an inelastic commodity. da guberment will always control what cars we drive. Can't drive a funny car or a tank. 3MPG SUVs have externalities that is an issue for the commons which, unfortunately, as bad as it is is still da domain a da guberment.
No! Never, ever, ever. You still pay through the nose and it takes twice as long to get there. It was awful the last time they did it too.
55 may make sense in metropolitan corridors but in other areas like out west where everything is 100 miles away, it makes no sense to drive 55 when the roads are built to handle speeds much higher. My time is still worth more than what I pay for fuel.
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