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Faster is not always better: why the case for higher speed limits is fatally flawed.
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this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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I didn’t want to be pedantic and list every possible variance. There is no perfect system. Yes, of course, there are going to be people on the Autobahn driving stupid, using phones, and in less-than-stellar cars. However, implementing autobahn-style speeds and the rules needed to make it work would never fly in the US.
Having watched drivers in a traffic backup on the Autobahn neatly organize themselves to leave a lane empty for emergency vehicles even though there were no emergency vehicles in the vicinity, my conclusion is that there's no fucking way that American drivers have the discipline or sense of social responsibility necessary to handle Autobhan-style driving.
IMO (at least for highways) the most important rule that should be enforced is lane usage. Having everyone focused on the speed limit creates a situation where the people who rigidly follow them (while somehow still ignoring the one about keeping right if you're not passing) end up spread across all lanes going the same speed while the people wanting to exceed the speed limit, many of whom are morons, end up tailgating the rule followers causing traffic congestion to bad, and creating a kind of "Frogger" situation with them weaving in and out of traffic to get by which is even more dangerous. So, since we're never going to reach a state where everyone just follows all the damn rules. If we have to focus on one, the one that allows those faster drivers to pass by and reduces congestion would be preferable. People who want to drive a safer speed could still do so, they just need to keep right while doing it. That in my opinion is the safest way to go about it for everyone given human behavior being what it is. The day where we figure out how to get most people off the roads cannot come soon enough.
TBF Autobahn speed limits are followed sorta like America does - people go a little over, but you don’t see situations there like the US where people do 75 in a 55. More like 5 over. Speed cameras are rare, and people know where they are.
Lane discipline is huge, and Americans couldn’t give a flying F about it, because fuck the rules, and fuck the 10 cars stacked up behind me trying to pass me, too. So yeah, absolutely, fix that and traffic would flow a lot better for everyone. If you’re not passing, keep right. That’s impossible for some people to obey.
A big reason for that is so many places set the speed limit way lower than what is actually safe on that road. There's a couple 3-4 lane interstates I drive on regularly that are just about perfectly flat and straight for 70-80 miles and they have the speed limit set to 60. Traffic permitting you can easily do 90+ on those, the only thing that makes it dangerous is the other people on the road that are rigidly adhering to the 60mph speed limit scattered through all lanes. If the speed limit was set more appropriately I don't think we'd have as many problems with people speeding.
I’m afraid I have a hard disagree with conditions.
The road may be safe for higher speeds.
You don’t get to determine that at everyone else’s expense. I regularly drive roads where people average 15-20 over and they are not suitable for those speeds, it’s one fuckup away from a NASCAR-style pileup. People are shit judges of what is safe based on their perceived driving skill (99.999999% of which are horrible) and how important they feel leaving 5 minutes later than they should have for their appointment is.
Anyone significantly outside the average speed is the danger. Faster cars maneuver more abruptly and brake harder, by far creating more danger than those going even modestly over the limit. Too slow cars force those maneuvers and frustrate people making them drive like assholes because cars are an extension of ego for too many people.
Like I said, I’d be fine with Autobahn style limits, but there’s always someone who says fuck the rules because this road can go faster, and that’s why we can’t have nice things.
Edit: And this popped into my head after I wrote this - Even if the road might be capable of safely supporting 70-90mph traffic, cars are not designed to absorb that much energy when something goes wrong. No, "just redesign them" is not an acceptable answer. Changing to a structure that can better absorb higher speed impacts and keep the occupants alive increases weight and thereby reduces economy, and regulations aren't going to let that happen at all.
Issue being, people are always going to drive the speed they feel safe at. A sign, a rule, a law will do nothing to change that, unless you have a pig on every corner enforcing them perfectly. The way you change that is to ~not make the roads feel safe at faster speeds~. Fewer, narrower lanes and traffic calming features will do more for the issues than any speed limit signs will.
At the end of the day, a straight, flat, multi-laned road gives the feeling of safety at high speeds. I won't say this is THE intent, but at very least is a side effect of the multiple lanes in each direction. Lower that to a travel lane in each direction and a turning lane. Add some medians. Add a chicane or two. Suddenly people drive slower because that's what the road actually supports.