“Over the years, I’ve done many follow up studies after we raise or lower a speed limit,” Megge tells us. “Almost every time, the 85th percentile speed doesn’t change, or if it does, it’s by about 2 or 3 mph.”
The article seems to quietly conflate the fastest 15% of drivers ignoring the limit with "most drivers" ignoring the limit. Which is odd. However, even under the _archon_ model, increasing the limit would lead to a reduction in speed variance.
For a long time in Nevada there were no speed limits (prior to the 55 law) and we'd drive up 395 toward Reno at 80 - 85 mph which was just fine.
It seems like you just have to believe that making a faster limit won't ratchet people to 'limit + 15' where they are when it is 65.
Just as Megge can point to the results on hundreds or thousands of roads which have become more safe or equally safe when the speed limit increased, other researchers looking at data sets of speed limit changes have come to the opposite conclusion and advise that raising speed limits comes with the price of thousands of roadway fatalities.
Although the article seems to support Megge and the studies he likes, it's not clear why (other than maybe that it makes for a more interesting blog post).
And honestly, I can't imagine I'm the only one who feels comfortable going 80 on a 65 MPH highway but not on a 55 MPH highway. I guess it is possible, but it seems hard to believe.