Welcome to the Roadscapes Wednesday segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Roadscapes Wednesday will feature roads and infrastructure related topics. Geek Alabama Editor / Publisher Nathan Young is often called the “road geek” for a good reason, Nathan loves roads and loves talking about roads!
Speed limits are the most commonly broken law in America. Not only that, they’re actually going UP over time. What gives? This week we’re diving into the truth about speed limits—and why an American Autobahn can’t happen.
Of course, speed limits for surface streets in cities and towns make sense. No one wants someone ripping a 90-mph drift through their neighborhood. But when you look at major routes and highways, the way speed limits are set can cause more harm than good.
That’s because speed limits are determined and periodically updated via something called the 85th percentile rule, where engineers calculate the max speed at which 85% of drivers are traveling on a given road and make that the limit. But if more than half of Americans speed, that means limits continue to rise as regular traffic studies are done.
This also increases the real risk factor in speeding: speed variability, or the difference in speed between you, other cars, pedestrians, and stationary objects. Higher speed variability in traffic means more congestion, more road rage, and more risk of a crash.
That’s why, among other things, the answer isn’t just to get rid of speed limits. Instead, we need to rethink how they’re calculated, applied, and enforced.
Categories: Roadscapes Stuff
