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The effect of speed limits
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In 1974 The United States passed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, during 1970’s oil crisis. One of the many provisions passed was the National maximum speed law of 55 mph in order to save fuel. While this sounded good on paper, it ultimately failed by cutting back fuel consumption by only 1%. Since 1994, when it was fully lifted there has been a raging debate over whether we should really raise speed limits. Many tests since the mid 90’s have evaluated both sides, such as Speed limit increases and Accident rates by Paul Frisman. One argument is that “raising speed limits” do not affect the number of accidents and actually benefits drivers on the road. One of the many benefits of raising speed limits is faster travel times. By …show more content…
It would help maintain speeds better by not backing up lanes. These changes would also improve relations with law enforcement and let people travel at safe enough speed for the roads at which they feel comfortable traveling at, not at what is posted. Small changes in speed limits do not change what people will travel at either, even if current speed limits were increased by 10 MPH, nearly four in ten (38%) drivers of interstate highways predict they would drive at least a little bit faster than the new posted speed limit(Dutta). Most tests found drivers seem to believe they can drive 7-8 mph over speed limit (Dutta). Tests conclude that lowering the speed limit does not mean traffic will slow down either (the). One major problem on many highways is speeding, Many researchers agree the best way to gauge speed limits is following the 85th percentile rule. The 85th percentile rule explains that a acceptable and most efficient speed should be set so 85 percent of vehicles are traveling at or below that posted limit. However, many lawmakers often lower the speeds with the mentality of “slower is safer”. This is simply not the case. Setting the speed limit of a road to an arbitrary value may, and most likely will, have a deteriorative effect on traffic flow and safety
“Have you ever noticed how anyone going slower than you is an idiot, and everyone going faster than you is a maniac?” George Carlin once, jokingly asked. However, this is not the case for drivers on the famous highway systems in Germany. When you drive in Germany you can be“idiot” in the government’s eyes if you go too slowly, drive in the wrong lane or impede the flow of traffic. This distinction is not unique in Germany but is applicable on their federal highway system, aptly named the Autobahn. Rules regarding how anyone driving on the autobahn state that a driver must go a certain speed, or that driver becomes a public safety hazard, much like that of speeders in America. Many foreigners only hear how the autobahn has no speed limit and that is not necessarily true. There are in fact many areas that are speed limited and strictly enforced by the polizei and speed cameras integrated into the guard rail or surroundings. German drivers receive up to two years of very expensive and intensive training before driving within the country. In my opinion, I believe there should be an Autobahn-like system in America because it teaches future generations not only maturity, but also discipline and responsibility.
Infrastructure would improve and the environment would be cleaner as well. Overall, nothing but good can come from a. national speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Works Cited Carrington, Damian. “Speed limit rise would increase deaths and pollution, admits. Government.”
...ng problem many jurisdictions and professional organizations have set the industry standard of following the speed limit or only 10 mph above when responding to an emergency. Fire departments must take notice and follow industry standards, or they and their members may become the next defendants in a court room due to negligence.
Drivers who speed often do not realize the enormous danger they are creating. When someone is speeding they have a higher braking time and are often going too fast to notice all of their surroundings, and fail to take all of the safety precautions a driver should use. Road conditions play a large role in the effects of speeding. Choosing to speed can also get a person’s license taken away, cost a fortune, or both.
Speed limits are very important throughout the world. Mainly because it involves the safety of yourself and other drivers on the road. Most people feel as if speeding is okay if you are driving correctly without any distractions. Well that is not the case at all, if you are sure of your driving and doing more than the speed limit it is a possibility that it can be another person at fault for the cause of an accident. Other drivers driving slowly causes road rage because so many people are in different lanes driving at the same speed limit. Speeding has always been a problem with me because I love to drive fast and I have a heavy foot.
That doesn't mean that if you feel unsafe you can't go slower. They're aren't many places where they have a minimum speed limit but I've seen some that are usually about twenty miles per hour slower than the speed limit. This allowes for drivers who don't feel safe doing the speed limit a way to drive without getting and ticket and sill feel safe. Honestly regardless of the speed limit some people are going to drive really fast and others slower. If your one of those people who isn't a fan of the increase in the speed limit you should just drive slower. The speed limit rise wouldn't have been approved by the town of Forestville if they didn't feel it was going to be safe for their
Speeding is the third most common factor in vehicle accidents in the US, costing 13,000 lives a year. Some of the reasons behind speeding include: driver's being in a rush, the need for adrenaline, and their belief that they won't get caught, or that laws don't apply to them. Speeding not only shortens your reaction time, but also your control of the vehicle as the faster the vehicle goes the more any sudden movements can affect it causing to flip or slide into another car, which may cause a fatality, maybe not to yourself but to
We do have an increase in the number of vehicle accidents, but it can always get better. If we leave it the way it is then these young adults get the practice they deserve. Long highways and busy interstates are prime road for accidents to happen, but if we leave the limit the way it is we won 't see more accidents. If anything we will see a decrease in accidents. From my previous experiences with driving I personally feel that more driving time and practice could benefit everyone. Especially when in the means and terms of a safer environment for everyone. If we were to change the age to eighteen or twenty one then we could potentially see an increase in accidents. If the debate is over whether the percent of accidents would go down or up we have to keep it the same to see a decrease or break even. Furthermore, we need to keep the legal driving age at sixteen to see an sort of improvement and
...bit faster than normal. What should drivers do? Well, there is something we can do that would allow for us to be able to raise the speed limits. We can write to our local representatives and let them know the need for raising the speed limits. Provide good research and valuable information that will help them to make the best possible decision. Of course, we must obey the law until the speed limits are changed. God has commanded us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Bible) This was used not only in the aspect of money but also in the aspect of all of Caesar’s laws. The urge is very real to want to break the law, but think about others before yourself. According to Terry Turner we need to think of the why before the how. Basically ask yourself, why do I need to speed? Then after careful consideration of all factors, decide how fast to drive your automobile.
..., the higher cost for insurance. For example a ticket for driving 20 mph above the posted speed limit will result in 4 points added to your driving record. Resulting in losing a $ 1,000 due to the insurance increase and state surcharge over three years.
...hat no one wants to do this. Driving at fast speeds also increases the risks of accidents and traffic tickets, which in turn increases the cost of insurance. If you are successful with defensive driving, you will ultimately save money. In some instances you could even earn money! This is the case with the insurance company Allstate. They send their clients up to two safe driving bonus checks per year for driving safely! Defensive driving saves, and pays!
From first-hand experience, one should easily realize that the common man would feel negativity toward raising speed limits. People fall into this trap because the general public is often mislead into believing that abolishing speed limits on highways will only cause more harm than good. People often are the victims of misunderstanding and people rarely observe the advantages offered by increasing the speed limit to a safe level.
Imagine driving on I-75 as cars race by you at a blink of an eye. You are driving 60 miles per hour, the speed limit; they must be doing 100 miles per hour or more. This is not an illusion; this is the reality of driving on a highway. Believe it, it happens everyday. Cars race down the road at uncontrollable speeds that cause tickets, accidents, and sadly death. Speed limits are a must for traffic control, for safety in neighborhoods and for avoidance of collisions.
According to Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) study in which speed limits were varied at 100 locations nationwide resulted "raising posted speed limits by as much as 15mph had little effect on the motorists' speed." The data actually indicates that accident rate reduced at sites where speed limits were raised. Traveling at high speeds saves time and gets you to your destination quicker and the traffic usually travels five to ten miles faster than the posted speed limit.
...s to make traffic more efficient. For example, the Ohio Revised Code in section 4511.21 states clearly that "No person shall operate a motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or a street car at a speed greater than reasonable or proper due regard to the traffic." Road speed limits are used to regulate the speed of vehicles. Sometimes people try to get somewhere and they go over the speed limit not realizing that they are putting themselves in danger. Now every time I get in a car with a friend or a family member, I make sure that they are going by the speed limit, not texting and paying attention on the road. It is very important that we follow this rules because they are only protecting us, and keeping us safe. If we want to reduce the millions of deaths that are caused by this imprudence every year we need to start being more responsible when we get behind the wheel.