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Hopefully this will get Californians outraged enough that they raise speed limits to match the speed of traffic. Speed limits, especially on highways, were gen

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.

AzzyHN 3y ago
If I see 65, I'm going 75. I worry that raising the limit would result in people driving even faster
pants2 3y ago
At least here in SoCal it's not uncommon for the prevailing speed on the highway to be 20+ mph over the limit. I've definitely passed cops doing 85 in a 65 and have never been pulled over for speeding. Seems like it's time to raise the speed limit. Texas did!
toast0 3y ago
California's speed trap law [1] prevents enforcement of speed limits that weren't set by a traffic survey within 5 years of the violation; subject to some exclusions --- school zone limits can be enforced. 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_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=40802.&lawCode=VEH https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...
- pclmulqdq 3y ago
  California's maximum freeway speed is 65, which is about 20 mph too low if you want an honest limit. Highway speed limits don't generally need a study there. 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.
  - mint2 3y ago
    No, 85 is crazy fast and also crazy inefficient. Yeah some roads can stand to be 75.
    - pclmulqdq 3y ago
      The point of a limit is that it's a number that is illegal to exceed. We have sort of forgotten about that notion because we all ignore speed limits wholesale (or treat them as recommended speeds). "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.
      - yial 3y ago
        I don’t think the inefficiency between 75 and 85 is going to be that much. Maybe yes on the scale of everyone…. https://www.mpgforspeed.com/ https://www.mpgforspeed.com/
    - BriggyDwiggs42 3y ago
      85 is crazy fast? Come on now.
- fargle 3y ago
  pretty much right. the traffic survey requirement only affects "posted" speed limits. 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_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22349 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...
effluvium 3y ago
Can attest to that. 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.
- riehwvfbk 3y ago
  Cars that require the driver to pump the brakes should not be on the road. Cars without ABS have shorter stopping distance than cars with it (yes, more control, but this is California we are talking about, the road is always dry).
  - effluvium 3y ago
    Maybe so, I seem to recall hearing that one point. However, there's a lot of variables to that (i.e., road surface [pot holes/dips], surface temperature, sand/salt on the surface, tire type, etc). What I can tell you is that even on dry road services, she gets squirrely if I lock them up, so I avoid screeching my tires. I owned several boats (i.e., a large sedan) without ABS, and they've all behaved the same. 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...
    - toast0 3y ago
      I haven't activated ABS for braking very often, but it's pretty loud when I do... Not as loud as locking up tires, of course. But I would think people would learn to change their driving if they're getting thumping on braking frequently.
  - toast0 3y ago
flemhans 3y ago
Speed limits are rarely increased, only decreased. Ground transportation times get longer and longer
thegrim33 3y ago
The publicly stated goal of many (most?) Californian leaders is to get people out of cars and into public or alternative transport. Hence the last decade of lowering speed limits, raising tolls, adding "traffic calming" measures, reducing lanes of travel, not building more capacity to match increasing population, raising fees involved with vehicle ownership, reducing available parking, increased speed cameras/traps, etc., etc., etc. Raising speed limits would make driving a better and more efficient experience and thus would run counter to those goals and will never happen.

AzzyHN 3y ago

If I see 65, I'm going 75. I worry that raising the limit would result in people driving even faster

pants2 3y ago

At least here in SoCal it's not uncommon for the prevailing speed on the highway to be 20+ mph over the limit. I've definitely passed cops doing 85 in a 65 and have never been pulled over for speeding. Seems like it's time to raise the speed limit. Texas did!

toast0 3y ago

California's speed trap law [1] prevents enforcement of speed limits that weren't set by a traffic survey within 5 years of the violation; subject to some exclusions --- school zone limits can be enforced. 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_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=40802.&lawCode=VEH https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...

pclmulqdq 3y ago
California's maximum freeway speed is 65, which is about 20 mph too low if you want an honest limit. Highway speed limits don't generally need a study there. 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.
- mint2 3y ago
  No, 85 is crazy fast and also crazy inefficient. Yeah some roads can stand to be 75.
  - pclmulqdq 3y ago
    The point of a limit is that it's a number that is illegal to exceed. We have sort of forgotten about that notion because we all ignore speed limits wholesale (or treat them as recommended speeds). "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.
    - yial 3y ago
      I don’t think the inefficiency between 75 and 85 is going to be that much. Maybe yes on the scale of everyone…. https://www.mpgforspeed.com/ https://www.mpgforspeed.com/
  - BriggyDwiggs42 3y ago
    85 is crazy fast? Come on now.
fargle 3y ago
pretty much right. the traffic survey requirement only affects "posted" speed limits. 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_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22349 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...

effluvium 3y ago

Can attest to that. 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.

riehwvfbk 3y ago
Cars that require the driver to pump the brakes should not be on the road. Cars without ABS have shorter stopping distance than cars with it (yes, more control, but this is California we are talking about, the road is always dry).
- effluvium 3y ago
  Maybe so, I seem to recall hearing that one point. However, there's a lot of variables to that (i.e., road surface [pot holes/dips], surface temperature, sand/salt on the surface, tire type, etc). What I can tell you is that even on dry road services, she gets squirrely if I lock them up, so I avoid screeching my tires. I owned several boats (i.e., a large sedan) without ABS, and they've all behaved the same. 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...
  - toast0 3y ago
    I haven't activated ABS for braking very often, but it's pretty loud when I do... Not as loud as locking up tires, of course. But I would think people would learn to change their driving if they're getting thumping on braking frequently.
- toast0 3y ago

flemhans 3y ago

Speed limits are rarely increased, only decreased. Ground transportation times get longer and longer

thegrim33 3y ago

The publicly stated goal of many (most?) Californian leaders is to get people out of cars and into public or alternative transport. Hence the last decade of lowering speed limits, raising tolls, adding "traffic calming" measures, reducing lanes of travel, not building more capacity to match increasing population, raising fees involved with vehicle ownership, reducing available parking, increased speed cameras/traps, etc., etc., etc. Raising speed limits would make driving a better and more efficient experience and thus would run counter to those goals and will never happen.