Comments on: Driving 55: profits before people?

By: Shawn Archer

Shawn Archer — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 13:41:06 +0000

I live in the DC area, and inspired by the drive 55 project, go at exactlty 55. Everybody passes me but it is very calm since I never have to apply breaks (long gap in front of me). Near the Wodrow wilson bridge there is a 50 construction speed limit and I go at exactly 50. More people should do the same.

Shawn

By: Colin P. Varga

Colin P. Varga — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 12:47:51 +0000

I live in Philly and I used to drive a car for a courier company. Going faster hardly makes any difference on hi-ways around a major city. When I used I-76 to commute to Center City Phila the average speed is 8 – 16 MPH (when you balance time against distance). From what I remember in Driver’s Ed most accidents are caused by poor decisions, if you are going fast you have less time to make a decision. While most Interstate Hi-ways were designed for 70MPH they aren’t necessarily maintained for that speed, and neither are many cars. Also the condition of a car’s tires become more critical at a higher speed. If you are going 70 and you are getting pasted 94 times over 200 miles how much faith do you have in the other drivers, their cars, and tires.

By: Robert Cote

Robert Cote — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 16:12:45 +0000

5b) There is a social cost to “hogging” the limited public resource known as highway capacity. Spending more than your fair share of time on the commons may actually end up costing everyone a great deal as we respond with more highway expenditures.

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 14:12:24 +0000

Steve,

Actually, law enforcement does not believe speed limit enforcement is in the interest of public safety (not NECESSARILY the same thing as the public interest).

Want proof? Exhortations to, as professional courtesy, not give speeding tickets to other officers… OR THEIR FAMILIES.

You could make the case that officers are SUPPOSED to have high speed training, have authorization at other times, etc. But their families are ordinary citizens, no more likely to have high speed training or authorization than the rest of us (and try using your level of training to get out of a ticket if you aren’t a LEO).

In other words, speed limit enforcement is PRIMARILY about revenue.

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:33:12 +0000

Speed limit enforcement, per se, is not necessarily in the best public interest. Most accidents are tied not to the speed of the vehicles involved, but in the differential of speed between the two. If both vehicles are going 70 – and road conditions warrant it (most interstates are designed for speeds well in excess of 70 mph) the chance of an accident occuring are slight. If one vehicle is going 70 and the other going 55 then the likelihood of an accident occurring increases. The Chronicle is simply encouraging it readers to create situations in which the likelihood of an accident occuring increases.

By: Newmark's Door

Newmark's Door — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 05:45:15 +0000

http://newmarksdoor.typepad.com/mainblog/2005/10/ted_frank_makes.html

Ted Frank makes quick work of a San Francisco Chronicle columnist who wants us to drive 55 mph. (No fair using opportunity cost, though. That’s economics! Why should selfless, well-meaning people have to listen to that?)

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 12:40:36 +0000

You’d think that speed limit enforcement would be as obviously in the public interest as enforcing the rules on illegal immigration, yet no one in authority has the stomach for either.

By: roy in nipomo

roy in nipomo — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 09:43:12 +0000

Theoretically, going 55 mph on the freeway would not be too much of a hazard (so long as you stayed to the right) as you would be going the same speed as any vehicle pulling a trailer.

In practice, though, most 18 wheelers (on Hwy 101 in my area, any way) seem to be going ~63 mph and most non-truckers with trailers are doing at least the same speed as the rest of traffic.

I tend to drive at 65 and find myself one of the slower vehicles on the road (and I stay to the far right).

By: Quite Early One Morning

Quite Early One Morning — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:57:42 +0000

I Can’t Drive 55

Okay…I know I live in Liberal Nutterland, but this idea tops them all: Drive 55 -save gas endorsed by the…

By: bj

bj — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:23:55 +0000

The author obviously doesn’t drive 980 between the Caldecott and the 80/580 Maze as I do daily.

Driving slower than the posted speed limit would be extremely dangerous on the 980 (of course the first to serve as self-appointed “lane monitors” will be the uber-smug Prius crowd)

The 980, for those not familiar with the East Bay, is a modern feeder freeway designed to move a high volume of Oakland Hills and CoCo County commuter traffic quickly to the main N-S/E-W arteries; not for social/policy experimentation.

A simple and proven maintenance technique of inflating tires to factory specs, can increase your gas mileage as much as 40% if you are driving on under-inflated tires. Which would save more gas than clogging up our freeways for longer periods during commute and increasing pollution & noise in adjacent neighborhoods.

One hopes the CHP will publically denounce the 55 Conservation Project for what it is: half-baked social nannying of no proven merit.