As another response mentioned, the "socially agreed upon limit" is the speed of traffic. I must have missed the meeting where we all got together and discussed

As another response mentioned, the "socially agreed upon limit" is the speed of traffic. I must have missed the meeting where we all got together and discussed what the speed limit ought to be. The speed limit is often arbitrary and that's part of the problem. We become immune to posted limits because the ones posted on highways and major roads are obviously inappropriate and not updated as technology and zoning changes. Then, many drivers ignore them when they do matter e.g. neighborhoods, school zones, curves. You're almost never going to be affected by someone simply speeding - it's drivers who speed _recklessly_. I'm fortunate enough to have never gotten into an accident even though I've driven all around the world. The person that's going to cause an accident is the one speeding AND weaving between cars or tailgating. Either way, it's irrelevant. The point of the thread is that speeding tickets are little more than a financial instrument for local, and sometimes state, governments.