this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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Nonsense
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I particularly enjoy this concept when there is only one lane.
Going faster than the speed limit is the most dumbass thing you can do, because you're endangering yourself and others only to be stuck behind a truck in about a minute.
And going at, or lawd forbid below, the speed limit isn't better, because it takes only about a minute for the next dumbass to arrive and start tailgating you.
Speed limits are set on a bunch of criteria and often below safe driving speed. They take in account things like rain and such.
On a nice dry day. Most roads are 100% safe for 5-10 above. Even being conservative.
There is no such thing as "100% safe". Any amount you go faster makes it more dangerous. And as such, there is just absolutely no reason to do so, if you're going to be stuck behind a truck anyways...
True, but then every road should have a ten mile hr speed limit.
The absolute FACT is if the government says it is safe to drive 45 at night in a light rain. The road is for 55 driving on a sunny day.
I never mentioned trucks or traffic. That's not what we are talking about, but since you brought it up. Most traffic studies actually show it is safer for everyone to be going the same speed. I e. If traffic is going 65 and you're going 55, you're making the road less safe not more.
55 diacocamburgers per whole eagle you consider safe?! 60 km/h already guaranees pedestrian deaths and no driver reaction will be enough to prevent them.
...how do you know that? I thought roads, in north America at least, were set on the 85 percentile rule. Measure how fast people are going on a street and set the speed limit to the car at the 85 percentile, rounded.
This sounds like "common wisdom" to justify speeding. And even then, you would never know when the road you are on actually has a correct speed limit and you're endangering everyone. A 5 - 10 mph increase is a lot more dangerous than one may think, because the energy in the system increases quadratic and the reaction time remains constant, it's even dangerous at 5-10 kmh.
NOT SINGLE ROAD in this country is set by "how fast people drive" that is without a doubt the stupidest thing heard in a long time.
Speed limits are set by civil engineers using a whole host of scientific data, local ordinances, state laws, and FHA rules.
I wish I could send this to my ex (a certified civil engineer) she'd die laughing.
You're vastly overestimating the sophistication involved in speed limit setting. Look up the concept of 85th percentile speed for more information.
As a caveat, this doesn't apply to every country, but it certainly appears to for the U.S, given that multiple DOTs list it as the "common method for setting speed limits".
Well I wouldn't know, but I saw this video, which says this is how it is described in "Confessions of a recovering engineer" by Charles Marohn, former professional engineer. If you or your ex find any fault with what Charles wrote or what NJB got wrong in adapting part of the book into his video, let me know.
Strictly talking about safe speed in relation to other traffic, and no mention of road conditions or other factors, I had it explained to me once that speed limits are safe speeds when you're the only one on the road. When there's one other car, the safest speed is the exact same speed as the other car. You will never hit that car if you're both going the same speed (This also implies/requires safe stopping distances because you slow down with them). That's really the heart of it, whatever minimizes possible interactions with other vehicles keeps you safe. It sounds like a duh statement but its where the conversation should be based around - relative speed not actual speed. Once it's more than just you and another car, the safest speed is the average flow of traffic across all lanes. If it's rush hour and the locals are ALL doing 10-over (it definitely happens), you are being unsafe if you are driving the speed limit in ANY lane specifically because every single car on that highway passes you and each passing is an opportunity for an accident. If/when you have to pass in traffic, always try to pass vehicles no faster than 5mph faster than the other vehicle, any faster and you are the definition of 'he came out of nowhere'. That works in the other direction too - if you aren't comfortable with speeding along with the whole highway, try not to be going less than 5mph under the average speed, posted speed limit be damned.
It is better to not be stuck between a truck and a tailgating asshole. So it would better to drive at or below the speed limit in your scenario.
You have to compensate by having a good margin in front of you as you cannot instantly break when you need to.