Hopefully this will get Californians outraged enough that they raise speed limits to match the speed of traffic.
Speed limits, especially on highways, were generally set when car technology was a lot less safe at speed.
Speed limits, especially on highways, were generally set when car technology was a lot less safe at speed.
Seems like it's time to raise the speed limit. Texas did!
IIRC, highway speed limits at or above 55 (maybe 60?) also don't need a survey either.
Unlike some other states, California has a truck speed limit of 55 mph. I don't think it's great to have the car speed limit set too much beyond that. Especially on the middle of nowhere freeways where people tend to find room to really speed... It's not great when people are doing 80+ and come across a group of 55 mph trucks.
[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...
Speeds on California surface roads (IMO) are mostly not that bad, like within 5 mph of the natural speed you would use on the road.
Yeah some roads can stand to be 75.
"Inefficient" doesn't get there, and also, on an open road, 85 is fine. Lots of other charges are available for someone going 85 on a crowded road.
Maybe yes on the scale of everyone….
the unconditional "maximum speed" limit of 65 or 55 on two-lane [1] is not part of the speed-trap law.
the 55 MPH limit for vehicles towing (big trucks and cars and anything else towing) is a worthless relic and positively unsafe. there are only a few other states that do this, and several of them are busy repealing it.
[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...
Ground transportation times get longer and longer
I worry that raising the limit would result in people driving even faster
In the 1990s, ABS was not required for auto-manufacturers. I'm not driving slow to be a prick, but doing 85 in that boat with a soft suspension is terrifying. 95 is a death wish move.
General PSA to those who might need to hear it. That huge buffer I leave between me and the car in front of me, I need that. If I get hard on the brakes, my wheels will lock up and I will have less control until I release and then reapply. For cars built without ABS, that's how breaks work.
Some people drive cars even older than mine where they have to pump their brakes to stop.
If you see someone in a old car driving slow please just go around. Please.
This conversation also has me wondering, how many people don't understand ABS (not you). What I'm getting at here is how many people drive in a manner that has them constantly activating their ABS system...
But if you don't have those preconditions, ABS will likely shorten the distance. Many drivers never had the training and practice to modulate the brakes for maximum stopping while maintaining heading.
But there's 100+ years of regulatory practice to allow vehicles to continue on the road as long as the meet the standards when they were manufactured.