Speed limits through communities --commonly ignored

[Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

Unlike automatic locks and air bags, we should concentrate on
PREVENTION. How many airbags we have nowadays? They probably save your
life but the crippling injuries and the trauma will stay with you.
It would be easy for NHTSA to go the same way of Europe and Canada, but
they couldn't care less. Never even heard of a campaign against
distracted driving or something. Oh yes, they do pick on the drunks,
but they are not the only ones threatening our communities. Speeders
are just as dangerous if not more.

If you define speeding as "exceeding the posted limit" that's nonsense.

I'm all for "no limits" on certain roads where drivers have a special license, the rules are clear and passing on the left is mandatory.

However speeding through communities must be controlled for these simple facts:

Every 2 hours a pedestrian dies in a traffic crash

Rate of survival at 20mph: 90% survive

" " 45mph: 35% survive

source: AARP Bulletin Dec 2014


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[Free Spirit, Chief of Quixotic Enterprises]

My thoughts on speed limits.
1. 65 is the new 55mph. 30 is the new 25(except in NY city! lol) What I mean is, cars since built since 2000 are much more stable and better power to weight ratio. Are most speed limits today a *little* conservatively set? I think so. It's a road by road basis.
2. Speed is only part of the equation in accident causality - what besides the road and driving, is occupying the driver's attention. Phones, texting, kids acting like monkeys at the zoo, and of course good ol' DUI. All the speed you're going at determines, when something does happen, is how f'd-up you'll be afterwards. And seatbelts and airbags will protect you, up to a point. Size and weight of what you're in determines how well it will hold up at any given speed.
I tend to drive around 5mph above most PSL(posted speed limits), and that's going with the flow, and cops leave you alone. If it's raining or snowing, I go by feel - am I still in control? - Then I might lower it to PSL or even just below. That's why I don't like power steering - especially the electric PS on most new cars you buy today, feels like a mushy damn VIDEO GAME wheel. There's no road feel coming through the floor or the wheel in my hands. That road feel, besides my eyes and ears, tells me what's reasonable for me, not a number on a sign. Know your ride, that's my advice.

Around here 45 is the new 30 mph. Left to their own will, they do whatever they want. Many accidents around here are awful and people are intimidated from crossing the street. Yesterday a car hit two or three light poles and they were all lying down.

Occasionally they get a ticket here and there but that's not an effective deterrent. Speeding cameras are a reality in Chicago and are said that they will be implemented across the nation. They are in place in Europe but must announce their location. What kind of give away is that?

One affluent community around here (populated by doctors and lawyers) lowered their speed limit to 20 mph. And if you live in a gated community, expect 15 mph limits. It seems money buys you safer communities.

[Free Spirit, Chief of Quixotic Enterprises]

Post by Free Spirit, Chief of Quixotic Enterprises

My thoughts on speed limits.
1. 65 is the new 55mph. 30 is the new 25(except in NY city! lol) What I mean is, cars since built since 2000 are much more stable and better power to weight ratio. Are most speed limits today a *little* conservatively set? I think so. It's a road by road basis.
2. Speed is only part of the equation in accident causality - what besides the road and driving, is occupying the driver's attention. Phones, texting, kids acting like monkeys at the zoo, and of course good ol' DUI. All the speed you're going at determines, when something does happen, is how f'd-up you'll be afterwards. And seatbelts and airbags will protect you, up to a point. Size and weight of what you're in determines how well it will hold up at any given speed.
I tend to drive around 5mph above most PSL(posted speed limits), and that's going with the flow, and cops leave you alone. If it's raining or snowing, I go by feel - am I still in control? - Then I might lower it to PSL or even just below. That's why I don't like power steering - especially the electric PS on most new cars you buy today, feels like a mushy damn VIDEO GAME wheel. There's no road feel coming through the floor or the wheel in my hands. That road feel, besides my eyes and ears, tells me what's reasonable for me, not a number on a sign. Know your ride, that's my advice.

Around here 45 is the new 30 mph. Left to their own will, they do whatever they want. Many accidents around here are awful and people are intimidated from crossing the street. Yesterday a car hit two or three light poles and they were all lying down.
Occasionally they get a ticket here and there but that's not an effective deterrent. Speeding cameras are a reality in Chicago and are said that they will be implemented across the nation. They are in place in Europe but must announce their location. What kind of give away is that?
One affluent community around here (populated by doctors and lawyers) lowered their speed limit to 20 mph. And if you live in a gated community, expect 15 mph limits. It seems money buys you safer communities.

Here are the cameras in Chicago:

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cdot/supp_info/children_s_safetyzoneporgramautomaticspeedenforcement/ase_hdiw.html

Again, they advertise their location. What kind of give away is that?

Results? Drivers are indeed slowing down, but are failing to meet the quotas expected. What's the issue here, safety or revenue generation?

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/chicago-drivers-wised-speed-cameras-good-behavior-bankrupting-city/

[Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

Two-fold: A misplaced focus on speed, and on generating revenues to line the pockets of politicians.
Like I said a couple posts back, speed is not the issue, it's what one is doing/focusing on at speed.

Good drivers going fast can be better than bad drivers going slow. But bad drivers going fast are like an unguided missile.

Let's assume a "good driver" going fast: An idiot walks into his path misjudging the distance and he's history. The good driver has a death on his record.

We have around here three lanes squeezed into two and the result is anyone opening the cars' doors on either side of the road is gambling his life. The speed in that area should be 20 mph but it's common to see drivers going 40 mph or more. We should not let the good driver make all kinds of judgement.

There are all kinds of idiots out there, but the engineers are the main issue. Why? Because they don't care. You see accidents happening in the same area and they don't correct anything. Again, they don't care.

[Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

On Monday, December 15, 2014 10:13:58 PM UTC-5, Wise TibetanMonkey,> >

Two-fold: A misplaced focus on speed, and on generating revenues to>

line the pockets of politicians.

Like I said a couple posts back, speed is not the issue, it's what one>

is doing/focusing on at speed.

Good drivers going fast can be better than bad drivers going slow. But>

bad drivers going fast are like an unguided missile.

Let's assume a "good driver" going fast: An idiot walks into his path>

misjudging the distance and he's history. The good driver has a

death> > on his record.

1. A good driver can avoid an idiot who just walks into his path
pretty> often. In order to hit a good driver, you actually have to hide
your> intention to jump in front of him.
2. If someone can get in front of the good driver in the window where>
he cannot stop, and you're willing to call that person's death>
unacceptable, then you are forced to set traffic speeds unreasonably>
low for the risk this poses.

We have around here three lanes squeezed into two and the result is> >
anyone opening the cars' doors on either side of the road is gambling>

his life. The speed in that area should be 20 mph but it's common to>
see drivers going 40 mph or more. We should not let the good driver>
make all kinds of judgement.

Actually, the research from traffic engineers and others looking into>
it is that that is exactly what we should do.

There are all kinds of idiots out there, but the engineers are the
main> > issue. Why? Because they don't care. You see accidents
happening in the> > same area and they don't correct anything. Again,
they don't care.

You think that the engineers are the problem?
LOL

The engineers are the main problem, drivers and pedestrians can also be
part of the problem.

No. They are not.

It's no secret that you can count some idiots among pedestrians and drivers...

But the engineers couldn't even make passing lanes part of the design. The end result is chaos and mayhem. It's not they are stupid. They are corrupt or they simply don't care.

This sign got me in trouble when riding a bicycle and a driver spit in my face because of it: "Walk bicycle across bridge."

They want to accommodate the maximum volume of cars, with little regard
to safety. I remember the same winding road next to Woodbourne, NY,
changing the speed limit wildly from 35 mph to 55 mph. If you followed
those limits, it would get you killed.

Cite?

Eyewitness account (myself).

But they figure nobody can follow such wild changes from one section
of the road to another. Same road! Hey, they are hiding everywhere
waiting for unsuspecting drivers who failed to adjust from 55 mph to 35
mph.
And that's the whole point about it. Money, mucho dinero, predation...

Cite?

You think they are trying to make roads any safer? They would lower the speed limits after so many accidents, right? Well, they don't. They just pick up the bodies, and sweep the debris.