In the USA there is an assumption that people speed a little in their cars all the time. So speed limits are set lower than they should be, because people will go over them. People know this, and assume that the speed limits are deliberately set too low.
This leads to nonsensical situations like where you have a road with a 35 miles per hour speed limit, and then a yellow warning sign in front of a bend in the road warning that 35 miles per hour is the maximum safe speed. Like, why is the sign necessary if that’s already the speed limit?
It can be both of these. People do drive with disregard to the safety of others, and if the road was designed better drivers would naturally slow down to protect themselves and their car.
There’s numerous forms of traffic calming beyond speed bumps - raised intersections at crossings, chicanes on one-way streets, curb extensions at crossings, median islands for pedestrian crossings, placing trees along the street side to limit distant vision, and even just adding some curves to a long street will all naturally compel drivers to slow down.
I can see examples of all of these everywhere I go in the Netherlands, and it works: we have ~4 vehicular deaths per 100,000 compared to the US’ 12.6 per 100,000.
That is to say, if roads are designed properly, then speed limits are completely unnecessary.
You see residential neighborboods that are straight and wide enough to fit 6 lanes and people wonder why cars zoom through at 40 miles an hour.
Whereas if it were narrower, had some curves, maybe a raised median with some plants, bike lane, etc…people would naturally drive slower, because going faster than 25 feels crazy.
We drive fast down straight open roads because it feels frustrating to drive 25 when you can see there is tons of room and nothing obstructing visibility ahead.
The other way is what they do in Rhode Island…build schools at major intersections on state highways next to the interstate and install speed camera to mail you a ticket if you go over 25 at any time between 7am and 4pm.
Arizona government: I like money
Kinda implies that the speed limit is too low or the road in question is too free-flowing for the stated limit.
But that’d require some reflection from the dumpster baby country.
In the USA there is an assumption that people speed a little in their cars all the time. So speed limits are set lower than they should be, because people will go over them. People know this, and assume that the speed limits are deliberately set too low.
This leads to nonsensical situations like where you have a road with a 35 miles per hour speed limit, and then a yellow warning sign in front of a bend in the road warning that 35 miles per hour is the maximum safe speed. Like, why is the sign necessary if that’s already the speed limit?
Speed limits are also based on rainy nights.
not in Australia, we have max advisory limits for shitty conditions on sharp curves etc, on a yellow sign, independent of the “normal” speed limit
No, it implies people drive recklessly with complete disregard for the safety of others
It can be both of these. People do drive with disregard to the safety of others, and if the road was designed better drivers would naturally slow down to protect themselves and their car.
There’s numerous forms of traffic calming beyond speed bumps - raised intersections at crossings, chicanes on one-way streets, curb extensions at crossings, median islands for pedestrian crossings, placing trees along the street side to limit distant vision, and even just adding some curves to a long street will all naturally compel drivers to slow down.
I can see examples of all of these everywhere I go in the Netherlands, and it works: we have ~4 vehicular deaths per 100,000 compared to the US’ 12.6 per 100,000.
While the road design might be an issue, speed limit need to be set by the governing body, else it will always be too low.
Speed limits are an artificial control on speed.
That is to say, if roads are designed properly, then speed limits are completely unnecessary.
You see residential neighborboods that are straight and wide enough to fit 6 lanes and people wonder why cars zoom through at 40 miles an hour.
Whereas if it were narrower, had some curves, maybe a raised median with some plants, bike lane, etc…people would naturally drive slower, because going faster than 25 feels crazy.
We drive fast down straight open roads because it feels frustrating to drive 25 when you can see there is tons of room and nothing obstructing visibility ahead.
The other way is what they do in Rhode Island…build schools at major intersections on state highways next to the interstate and install speed camera to mail you a ticket if you go over 25 at any time between 7am and 4pm.
That, and don’t repair potholes.