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Most states have a blanket law that 10/15/20 below the speed limit constitutes obstructing traffic and is usually a ticketable offense. In the digital age with

Most states have a blanket law that 10/15/20 below the speed limit constitutes obstructing traffic and is usually a ticketable offense. In the digital age with sensors and data so cheap there's also no reason we can't set speed limits based on the Xth percentile everywhere with an automatic annual adjustment.

vageli 6y ago
> In the digital age with sensors and data so cheap there's also no reason we can't set speed limits based on the Xth percentile everywhere with an automatic annual adjustment. People tend to have an aversion to automation applied to law enforcement. See the criticism of red light cameras in the US.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  I'm advocating for automating the rules, not the enforcement. In most places speed limits would probably rise. My understanding is that some traffic light timings are already automated in this manner.
  - vageli 6y ago
    After rereading your comment I see where I misread, my apologies.
conk 6y ago
Ya, let’s implement speed limits based upon an known organizational issue that can result in catastrophic failure. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_of_deviance https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_of_deviance
pdpi 6y ago
By definition, x percent of the people are below the xth percentile. That’s not a sane way to set limits
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  That sounds like a pretty sane way to set a limit that by definition should not be exceeded. It's also the way civil engineers recommend speed limits be set. I think the current number they use is 85th percentile.
  - k1t 6y ago
    Yes, California for example: > The 85th percentile speed is the single most influential indicator of what is safe and reasonable, and it is used to determine the speed limit by rounding to the nearest 5 mph increment, and posting the speed limit at that speed. If there are sufficient conditions not readily apparent to the driver, as determined by a registered engineer, the posted speed limit can be lowered by 5 mph, and such a decision must be clearly documented in the E&TS. https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/setting-speed-limits https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/setting-speed-li...

vageli 6y ago

> In the digital age with sensors and data so cheap there's also no reason we can't set speed limits based on the Xth percentile everywhere with an automatic annual adjustment. People tend to have an aversion to automation applied to law enforcement. See the criticism of red light cameras in the US.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago
I'm advocating for automating the rules, not the enforcement. In most places speed limits would probably rise. My understanding is that some traffic light timings are already automated in this manner.
- vageli 6y ago
  After rereading your comment I see where I misread, my apologies.

conk 6y ago

Ya, let’s implement speed limits based upon an known organizational issue that can result in catastrophic failure. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_of_deviance https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization_of_deviance

pdpi 6y ago

By definition, x percent of the people are below the xth percentile. That’s not a sane way to set limits

throwaway0a5e 6y ago
That sounds like a pretty sane way to set a limit that by definition should not be exceeded. It's also the way civil engineers recommend speed limits be set. I think the current number they use is 85th percentile.
- k1t 6y ago
  Yes, California for example: > The 85th percentile speed is the single most influential indicator of what is safe and reasonable, and it is used to determine the speed limit by rounding to the nearest 5 mph increment, and posting the speed limit at that speed. If there are sufficient conditions not readily apparent to the driver, as determined by a registered engineer, the posted speed limit can be lowered by 5 mph, and such a decision must be clearly documented in the E&TS. https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/setting-speed-limits https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/setting-speed-li...