Speed Limit 65 Essay Research Paper America

Speed Limit 65 Essay, Research Paper

America’s Need For Speed: Let’s Make It Safe

Everyone has been there; you are driving down a four lane interstate highway miles from the nearest community, where you could easily cruise at speeds of seventy-five or even eighty miles per hour, which you feel is reasonable. But you are unable to do this because the speed limit is only sixty-five or maybe even fifty-five and you are afraid of receiving a ticket. The same situation occurs on two-lane semi residential roads where the speed limit is only twenty-five or thirty-five miles per hour. In both situations some drivers agree to obey the speed limit, while others consistently drive at comfortable speeds for them, which usually results in going ten to twenty miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Let’s face it, most of us don’t want to be bothered by constantly checking and regulating our speed, and also by obeying speed limits which are unreasonably low when we have places to go, and need to get there.

The question that needs to be posed is: “How can we properly adjust the speed limits.” It should definitely be a question answered by the individual states themselves. The roadways in different states are so diverse. Some have miles and miles of straight and level stretches, while others have mainly hilly and windy roads. Also the citizens of different states have different driving habits. There are some where drivers just naturally drive very fast. The existing speed limits encourage this kind of gap in speeds, which results in increased accidents. States should be able to increase their limits or keep them the same, or only change their limits on some of the roads. This is where the simplest but most brilliant plan comes in. “The limit should be posted at the speed that eighty-five percent of traffic is traveling,” (Palmaffy, pg. 11) when measured under ideal conditions. Engineers claim that this “eighty fifth percentile speed” is the safest speed at which to travel. People who drive at this speed are the least likely to be in accidents, and those who drive much slower or faster than this are in high risk of being involved in an accident. By this plan the drivers themselves can set the speed limits.

Speed limits are either set by the state or federal government depending on the roadway. Individual states can basically set their own speed limits, but the federal government can control these limits on high-speed expressways by imposing a “National Maximum Speed Limit.” It recently was set at fifty-five miles per hour. This maximum is not mandatory for the states to post, but whichever states would not, had federal highway funds withheld from them. Speed limits are traffic laws placed on drivers for the sole purpose of safety. Traffic laws are created so as to protect drivers and their passengers, and all pedestrians around the roadway. Police officers patrol to issue citations to the drivers who do not follow these traffic laws. The facts are that speed limits which most drivers feel are unreasonably slow and, therefore usually exceed, are harmful for several reasons. They result in more accidents, less respect for police officers, and a generally unhappy public. These results in turn lead to many other problems.

Large variations in vehicles’ speeds pose a great risk to drivers’ and passengers’ safety, because more accidents are likely to occur. When speed limits are posted which most drivers feel are unreasonable they exceed them. But there are always motorists who believe that that should obey them, which they do. This results in a substantial gap in different vehicle’s speeds. “When the speed limit was fifty-five, driver’s weren’t comfortable – some drove at fifty-five, some at sixty-five, and some at seventy-five or above. There was so much difference that accidents significantly increased. When the limit is raised to it’s proper level, the evidence shows, these dangerous variances in speed start to disappear.” (Palmaffy, pg. 11-12) Also, as major interstates with fifty-five or sixty-five mile per hour speed limits begin to be patrolled heavily, many motorists switch onto country roads which will get them where they are going just as fast, and where there is a minimal amount of police. “This substantially endangers safety. The fatality rate is three times higher when you get off the interstates.” (Palmaffy, pg.12) The facts are that many people ignore speed limit signs. A study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration concluded that regardless of whether limits were raised or lowered, the average traffic speed remained the same. Within a three year period after the speed limits were raised the accident rate actually fell. The difference is that when the speed limit is lowered the drivers know that they are breaking the law by speeding.

After the repeal of the federal maximum last year some states have already increased their speed limits. Montana has even totally done away with its daytime speed limits, and the signs merely read “reasonable and prudent.” Montana state troopers are quoted as saying that accidents haven’t risen since the daytime speed limit has been abolished. The problem is that mostly all states have not conducted studies to conclude what the eighty-fifth percentile of traffic speed is. With the current limit vehicles are still not traveling at the safest speed at which traffic can travel. As the speed limits get adj