"cuts_off_prius" (cutsoffprius)
07/05/2015 at 12:59 • Filed to: None
4
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"cuts_off_prius" (cutsoffprius)
07/05/2015 at 12:59 • Filed to: None | 4
| 44 |
Excellent op-ed from an assistant professor of transport engineering at the University of Texas. Read it all. We should share the crap out of this article...
“Current best practices in transportation engineering — supported by extensive research by organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Institute of Transportation Engineers — is that speed limits should be set at the 85th percentile of traffic speed. That is, only about 1 out of 7 cars should be driving faster than the speed limit. Any more than that and the speed limit should be raised.”
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
jkm7680
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:03 |
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Yeah, but drivers aren’t!
sellphones2493
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 13:21 |
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I was about to say...I’m pretty sure we’re getting stupider.
derekson
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 13:24 |
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But a huge part of the reason that drivers are so distracted is that driving 70 MPH in a modern car is so easy. If the speed limits were higher and cars were traveling faster, people would actually pay more attention because they wouldn’t have a false sense of safety.
FlimFlamMan
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:25 |
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But... but the infrastructure is falling apart! Or so say the politicians.
StoneCold
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:25 |
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Similar to what jkm said, if we raise speed limits, we should raise the standards of our driving tests. Yes, I know they’ve raised the amount of required hours (in Illinois, at least), but the student only needs a signature from a guardian to signify they’ve accomplished those hours. And a lack of recertification doesn’t encourage people to stay on top of the rules of the road and good driving practices.
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jkm7680
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 13:25 |
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People would adapt to that false sense of safety though.
mordred93
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 13:27 |
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Until they got used to the new speed limits, and felt safe any ways. Just like when you were a teen and got used to driving 55 then 65 and now 75.
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cuts_off_prius
> FlimFlamMan
07/05/2015 at 13:28 |
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The roads in the Midwest are horrible. Damn road salt. However, when I visited Tennessee, they were smooth as silk.
djmt1
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:36 |
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They lowered all of the speed limits in my borough from 30 mph to 20 mph and now it honestly looks like everyone is driving in slow motion.
Wobbles the Mind
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:37 |
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I agree that certain back roads, or redesigned areas could use speed limit updates. What I would love to see are screens that change the limit depending on time of day, traffic flow, and weather. You see these in areas with sudden fog, temperature drops, and bridges.
Over 75 though and you’ll find some very big issues, mostly with vehicles at their higher payload levels (whether that be oversized trucks or packed up Subarus). You also end up with much more difficult areas for merging (and you can’t go changing limits for every little spot). Also 26 miles an hour over the limit is when severe punishments occur in my state at least. That means cops don’t need to discern after three digits are read.
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cuts_off_prius
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 13:44 |
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If we raised speed limits, those distracted people would f*** out of the left lane in no time.
TheOnelectronic
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:47 |
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I don’t think it’s the salt; salt shouldn’t affect pavement or asphalt.
It’s the reason for the salt; freeze/thaw cycles. Water gets in the tiny cracks in the road, and when it freezes, it expands, pushing them farther apart. Rinse and repeat a few times and your road is powder.
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TheOnelectronic
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 13:49 |
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It’s funny; when I lived in Illinois and the speed limit was 65, people were doing 75-80 almost as a rule.
Then I moved to New Mexico, where the speed limit is 75. And people are doing 75-80 pretty consistently.
People don’t tend to go faster than they feel comfortable.
LongbowMkII
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 13:50 |
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If interstates were passenger car only, sure. remember that a good portion of highway traffic are semi trucks. Passing trucks at a high difference in speed in moderate traffic can be very dangerous. I’ve been in too many dangerous situations when driving over the speed limit that someone in a car or truck has changed lanes in front of me to pass a slower truck. If the speed limit was 85 that situation would be much more common.
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cuts_off_prius
> LongbowMkII
07/05/2015 at 13:57 |
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Interesting thing is that on the German Autobahn, trucks are electronically limited to 90 km/h (56 mph), with an 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit. So that’s even more speed differential between cars and trucks. They just keep right as much as possible I guess. And trucks are banned from driving on Sundays and federal holidays, of course.
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LongbowMkII
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 14:03 |
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How often can they change lanes? and how much of the autobahn is 6 lanes? If youre planning on cruising the interstate at 80-85 you HAVE to keep and eye on the traffic and terrain and then predict traffic. This is something that I don’t trust all of US drivers to do.
The US trucking industry would never allow such a low speed limit.
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cuts_off_prius
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 14:12 |
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I don’t disagree at all. But in most cases, speed limit increases merely legalize speeds that are already prevalent. In most documented cases, travel speeds hardly change at all (if at most 2-3 mph), because the overwhelming majority drive at speeds they feel are reasonable and prudent for conditions, regardless of the number on the sign. Effectively, the only things that would change with 85th-percentile based speed limits is that it would be less illegal to “go with the flow” and that traffic would actually flow better due to less speed variance between people going at a reasonable pace and people following the letter of the law. But I do agree that we need better driver education and to hammer it home that the left lane should be used for passing. And following distances, goddammit.
BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 14:17 |
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Tennesseean here. If our roads are as smooth as silk, I’d hate to see the roads where you live.
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derekson
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 14:24 |
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Not really. I doubt anyone feels comfortable enough at 90-100 MPH to pull out a phone and text. Driving at about those speeds in a modern car is a similar feel to driving a car from the 1960s at 60-70 MPH, and would thus actually hold people’s attention.
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derekson
> TheOnelectronic
07/05/2015 at 14:27 |
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The salt contributes though because it melts the snow and ice even when it’s below 32F, and thus you get more water trapped below the road bed to expand when it later has lower salt concentration and can freeze at those temperatures.
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TheOnelectronic
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 14:27 |
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Ah, that’s a good point.
this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> djmt1
07/05/2015 at 14:31 |
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I feel like I’m a more dangerous driver when limits are set the low, especially in tightly inforced zones. I’m just staring at my speedo and trying to decide between and 2nd and 3rd gear instead of, ya know, looking out for lost dogs and small children.
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djmt1
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
07/05/2015 at 14:35 |
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Exactly. Especially since Britian being Britain, I have two speed cameras on the main road in my area specifically so everyone is focused on their speedo and not the road.
Jumbojeepman
> LongbowMkII
07/05/2015 at 14:35 |
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If all the trucks are electronically limited to the same speed, a large portion of the problems trucks cause (them wanting to pass their brethern going 1 mph slower than they want to go, clogging up both lanes of the interstate) would be solved, and cars could move faster, safer.
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LongbowMkII
> Jumbojeepman
07/05/2015 at 14:38 |
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and that would NEVER happen. Trucking has a HUGE governmental lobby. You think they would willingly slow down their work and pay for it?
the only chance of this happening is if trucks become automated.
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this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> djmt1
07/05/2015 at 14:45 |
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I feel like big signs that say “please go slow so you don’t kill children” to shame you into just going... Slow... Would be much more effective than setting an arbitrary limit.
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djmt1
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
07/05/2015 at 14:50 |
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The signs where I live assume you are following the limit and like to express their gratitude.
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BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 15:25 |
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Driving 100 mph in a fullsize truck is terrifying and it definitely holds your attention. Not that I would know or anything...
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BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
07/05/2015 at 15:35 |
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In that vein, this hit-and-run recently happened where I live. People are talking about lowering the speed limit in that area, but I can’t see that doing anything because the woman was doing 3x the speed limit in the first place. What good is changing laws gonna do if the people they are designed to protect against don’t follow them in the first place? This is kinda off topic but I’ve been thinking about it lately
Cé hé sin
> Jumbojeepman
07/05/2015 at 15:39 |
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The reverse happens because speed limiters vary slightly so you get one doing 89.9 trying to pass someone doing 89.8.
Interestingly, limiters were introduced twenty-odd years ago to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, not for safety reasons.
Interestingly trucks got much more poweful once limiters were introduced. Work out why!
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Cé hé sin
> LongbowMkII
07/05/2015 at 15:43 |
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They can’t use the outside lane on three lane roads. Makes life exciting if you’re in the inside lane behind a truck and want to move into the outside lane where people are doing 180 or more.
Spasoje
> jkm7680
07/05/2015 at 15:51 |
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Mandatory driving school needs to happen!
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Spasoje
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 15:52 |
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Seems the article you linked got FP’d some time after you posted this...
http://jalopnik.com/transportation…
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cuts_off_prius
> Spasoje
07/05/2015 at 16:10 |
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Nice! Thanks for letting me know!
gamefreak32
> LongbowMkII
07/05/2015 at 16:31 |
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They can’t change lanes often, but they do anyways. Worst congestion I have ever been in was on the autobahn in a two lane unrestricted section with two tractor trailers lined up beside each other for the better part of 20 miles. Honestly not that much of the autobahn is 6 lanes wide, most of thee unrestricted sections is only 2 or 3 lanes. The images you see of it 6 lanes wide is in Frankfurt and the speed limit is 100-130 km/hr most of the day due to congestion. At night though, it is 6 lanes wide unrestricted with very few cars.
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LongbowMkII
> gamefreak32
07/05/2015 at 16:35 |
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I meant 6 lanes as in 3 in each direction. That describes most of the autobahn vids I’ve seen.
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gamefreak32
> BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE
07/05/2015 at 16:36 |
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Drive east on I-40 into NC. We are approaching SC level potholes.
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Jumbojeepman
> Cé hé sin
07/05/2015 at 16:43 |
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They could have an active speed limiter that won’t let them pass a truck going less than say 2 mph under their current speed. Give them a button that lets them easily pass 1 truck by going 7 mph faster than the truck they are passing, but they can only use it once in a given time frame (like every 30 minutes.) We have the technology. Heck, just get rid of the truck drivers and replace them with robots.
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gamefreak32
> LongbowMkII
07/05/2015 at 17:08 |
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They are filming outside Frankfurt, Munich, or another large city on the low numbered A roads (A1-10). The high numbered (A72,A92,etc) that don’t connect major cities are 2 lanes.
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LongbowMkII
> FlimFlamMan
07/05/2015 at 17:15 |
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um our infrastructure
is
falling apart.
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904 GTS
> cuts_off_prius
07/05/2015 at 18:03 |
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Trucks are banned from Autobahns from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday, unless issued special permit while carrying perishable foods or emergency supplies.
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904 GTS
> derekson
07/05/2015 at 18:06 |
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jkm7680
> this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
07/06/2015 at 14:15 |
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I’ve seen these signs popping up everywhere.
It’s too bad that so many children live on the side of major roadways isn’t it?
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this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata
> jkm7680
07/06/2015 at 14:57 |
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Yeah there really should be some kind of foster program or something for all the poor kids.