Ever wonder what happens when everyone does 55 mph?

[giza]

See for yourself when a line of cars does 55 mph down a freeway:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5366552067462745475

As one person put it in the video, it's interesting how if you do 75 like everybody else does, you're fine. But if you do 80, which is "5 over", you get a ticket for really being 25 over the limit.

Comments

[lionman.livejournal.com]

I presume the posted limit was supposed to be 55 mph? It didn't seem to be clearly stated.

[duncandahusky.livejournal.com]

It appears have been shot in and around Atlanta, and as far as I know it's ALL 55 mph through there.

[lionman.livejournal.com]

I didn't see anything that clued me in, but the sound dampening barriers looked like they were the same used around the freeways in CA, thus I was curious.

[inaquara.livejournal.com]

I love it when people do things like this :) it makes me feel better about not being a speed freak on the highway like everyone else (I usually only do 5mph over the limit)

[balinares.livejournal.com]

Let me get this straight... There's a 55mph limit on a freaking four lanes, undamaged, mostly straight highway?! Is it me being French, or is there some serious insanity going on?

[giza.livejournal.com]

Speeding tickets provide some cities/counties/whatever with a considerable chunk of their revenue. Yes, I'm serious.

[inaquara.livejournal.com]

The lower speed limits were implemented in our last oil scare about fourty years ago as it was shown that driving at 55-65 (depending on location and who you talked to) was more oil efficient. The speed limits used to be much higher before that.

But yeah, they also help give the MVA and local governments alot of money.

[balinares.livejournal.com]

... Ah.
Well at least people get to keep claiming their system is better because they pay less taxes than other countries, don't they? :}

[rigelkitty.livejournal.com]

Without speed limits, what is the proper traffic flow if there are no longer upper (and thus also no lower) limits to speed? There has to be some limit to base good judgement around, even if it's violated at +20mph - at least it's consistent.

[zorinlynx.livejournal.com]

Wow, other than the sound work and lip sync being horrid on that video, it was pretty interesting.

At least here in FL, it's 70 all up and down the Turnpike. There's still areas where it's 55 or 65, though, but they're usually where traffic is too dense to go much faster safely anyway.

Still, in areas between cities, where there's little-to-no traffic, it really should be 80 or 90. There's really nothing unsafe about those speeds on well-maintained roads with no traffic. Ticket revenue and rampant environmentalism (you do use a lot more gas) are the only excuses I can think of for the lower limits.

An accident at 70 is just as deadly as one at 90. Once you're going that fast modern cars really won't protect you much in a hard collision.

-Z

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

Heh, instead of civil disobedience, it's... uncivil obedience?

[delphi-of-clf.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Oh wow...Gotta share this.