REPORT: Utah DoT admits higher speed limits has worked out to less speeding
When the Utah DOT raised the speed limit on two pieces of I-15 from 75 mph to 80 mph, it discovered that driving habits didn't change. When the limit was 75 mph, the Utah DoT found that drivers were going between 81 and 85 mph. And now that the maximum limit is 80 mph, it has found that drivers are going between 83 and 85 mph.
You can look at that as less speeding, as the UDoT has, or simply the fact that people didn't automatically start going 10 mph over the limit, having found a speed that satisfies 85% of them. This shouldn't be that surprising – even when Montana had stretches of highway with unlimited speeds, it was only a few folks, mostly out-of-staters, that raced at max velocity. And most folks on unlimited sections of the Autobahn aren't even going 150 mph.
According to the Deseret News, a UDoT official said that accidents haven't increased, either, nor did they expect an increase in fender benders. What he said has increased, though, is speed differential, which we don't quite understand. Apparently, the difference between the fastest and slowest vehicles has widened. We can only imagine he was speaking of the 2 mph difference between the slightly higher lower average speed of 83 mph vs the 81 mph from before. Even though one Utah legislator wasn't happy about the increased limit, saying speed kills, the proof appears to be... well, not necessarily.
[Source: Deseret News | Image: Ken Lund via CC2.0]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
mikemaj82 4:02PM (10/27/2009)
Speed kills, meaning you're more likely to die going 85mph than 75mph if you crash.
Reply
Gruv 4:12PM (10/27/2009)
Wrong.
http://www.hwysafety.com/hwy_montana.htm
When Montana had no speed limits, highway deaths sunk to an ALL TIME LOW. Why? People were hauling ass, and paying attention. When the speed limit was reinstated, it rose to an all time high. Why? People were again yapping on cell phones, eating food, reading books, etc.
Speed doesn't kill. Inattentive driving does.
T3hD0gg 4:16PM (10/27/2009)
You're also more likely to die crashing an old Honda Civic compared to a new Honda Civic. Does that mean older Civics kill?
Sea Urchin 4:21PM (10/27/2009)
Agree 100%, but this isn't the place to convince anyone.
Mr. Ramsey, some say that pot has no side effects either, why don't you guys start advocating that as well in here?
italy430 4:30PM (10/27/2009)
you have a very old school and one-way type of thinking. what u stated is obvious but not what happens in reality. someone driving 90mph is paying a whole lot more attention than someone cruising along at 60mph. most accidents are because of people not paying attention!! im not surprised at all with the results of increasing the speed limit. people don't just drive 10 over no matter the speed limit. the majority will drive at a speed they feel comfortable. wonder why a lot of foreigners or elderly drive slow?? well they don't feel comfortable driving fast. has nothing to do with the speed limit.
i'd say raise the speed limit to a reasonable level (as long as the roads are built safely for it, ie: having an appropriate exit ramp that isn't ridiculously short) and you will notice less accidents because people are paying more attention and also another very important point as to how it cuts speeding.....
it is a lot easier to speed and cut between cars when the cars are doing 60mph and ur doing 80mph. now if everyone is doing 80mph, are you gonna be doing 100mph and cutting through the traffic?! not a chance! weaving through traffic at 80mph vs 100mph is a huge difference!! also the fact that you have significantly decreased performance from your car when ur traveling faster, either in acceleration or braking and changing lanes you'll notice that it's a lot easier to lose control.
i could go into texting while driving but that's a different topic haha... basically you need to keep the drivers attention on the road, how do u force them to do that?.... increase the speed limit!
Nick 4:35PM (10/27/2009)
This report is in contradiction to every other traffic accident statistics I've seen.
Not every road is like Utah's, not every driving condition is the same as Utah's etc..
Brian 4:38PM (10/27/2009)
German traffic deaths dropped 12% when speed limits were instated on some intercity freeways.
Jonathon Ramsey's article is misleading, and of course, all the brainless bunch here will take it as 'proof' that higher speeds are safer. LOL
Sea Urchin 4:39PM (10/27/2009)
There are so many people out there who should not even have licence to drive, many out right ignore laws, others talk on the phone, some text, some drink, some smoke and once you add the fact that half of all cars are tanks (SUVs) a removal of speed limit will make all these people that much more dangerous.
mikemaj82 4:43PM (10/27/2009)
yea like a lot of people on here
doc b 4:51PM (10/27/2009)
@brian
innercity freeways absolutely require speed limits. no one on this site would rationally argue that a freeway through a major urban area should be unlimited.
i think most people would argue that most speed limits in this country have no basis in science or safety, and are in fact used a tax on motorist who are otherwise safely driving their cars.
just careful observation would solve this. observe the average unregulated speed of any thoroughfare and make that the speed limit. large groups tend to self regulate (see any systems science)
doc b 5:01PM (10/27/2009)
@nick
most american studies on speed and driving safety are poorly done. they are usually taken apart by a reasonable statistician, but often after the results are lauded by safety advocates.
much as everything else on this earth, the answer is usually a mix of the two positions.
-the faster a car is going the more energy it has and the higher the amount of damage it can cause whoever it strikes or who is inside, BUT traffic as a system will operate at an optimal average speed. that average speed (depending on the road and conditions) is very often LOWER than the posted limit, thus if you raise the limit and do a study, safety will IMPROVE.
James Sonne 5:13PM (10/27/2009)
The sides seem to be either a) higher velocity is more fatal, or b) inattentive drivers cause accidents.
I would say that both are true.
If you get into a wreck going 100 mph, you're more likely to die from that wreck than if you're going 30 mph.
Also, inattentive drivers do cause accidents and drive less, as illustrated by lane departure studies while drink driving or cellphone talking and driving.
These are two different, *mostly* unrelated things. We can argue whether driving faster means more drivers are paying more attention, and if that balances out or not. Would people be less likely to talk on a cellphone if they're driving 100 mph, because they finally think that that's a scary combination? Maybe. I personally wouldn't count on it.
But it seems that the facts are that both sides are right, just talking about different things.
Personally? I want to drive as fast and as safely as I can. Usually that's not more than 20% faster than the flow of traffic. I would tend to put safety as trumping speed, that's not to say I wouldn't drive fast, just that I'd drive safely.
tankd0g 5:30PM (10/27/2009)
So don't crash. Wtf are you going to crash into on an interstate besides your own stupidity?
fizzandpop 8:17PM (10/27/2009)
Here's another statistical factoid to back up this argument:
Michael Schumacher spent his life driving everywhere at 200mph and he's alive. My granny spent her life driving everywhere at 25mph and she's dead.
Kitko 6:10PM (10/27/2009)
If you crash or are involved in a crash on the unlimited stretch of Autobahn while doing over 130 km/h, which is officially a recommended speed, you're automaticaly treated as if you yourself caused whatever pile-up there was.
Still, it feels weird when you're doing 160 km/h in the right lane a you're apparently the slowest car on the road....
Christian de Saint Preux 12:50AM (10/28/2009)
If you crash from a jetplane.... you are freaking dead. Yet it's the safest way to travel?
Same thing here... If an accident happens... yeap...... you are dead at higher speeds.... but.... if you get a lot less accidents and fatalities.... although all accidents are fatal what do you choose? Fatality is fatility, no matter which has a higher probability. I choose the lowest numerical total vs the higher probability...
Make sense?
nagmashot 1:52AM (10/28/2009)
@Brain
there was never a 12% drop in killed in traffic in Germany ..
the changes that slowed down the increasing number of killed in traffic numbers in Germany
- 1957 .. inside towns only 50km/h(31mph)
- 1972... 100km/h(62mph) on country roads
the first real reducing of killed in traffic was the change to
- 1973 0.8promil alcohol in together with the oil crisis
- 1980 bikers have to wear helmets
- 1984 drivers have to use seatbells (the biggest drop in killed in traffic)
- 1998 0.5 promil alcohol
this reduced the killed in traffic from 21.322 in 1970 to 4.477 in 2008...
according to German statistics high speeds are not so often the reason for killed in traffic... other driving mistakes, alcohol and drugs are more often the reason for killed in traffic..
Dave 4:03PM (10/27/2009)
Man, fuel economy must be brutal in Utah. 85 mph reduces my car from 33 mpg highway down to like 24. But I'm pretty sure I'd do 90 too on some of those horribly boring roads.
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Stix 4:44PM (10/27/2009)
Mine goes up from around 24mpg @ 60mph to 28mpg @ 75mph. I know there is more aero drag on the car at that speed, but it also puts my engine at the RPM range where it produces peak torque to peak horsepower (at full throttle, not cruising), the most efficient range of the engine.
doc b 4:44PM (10/27/2009)
maximum efficiency of a car is the speed at approx 35% of it's top gear. rule of thumb.
that speed for many cars is near 55, but not all. The prius is maximally efficient in the low 40's.
my RS4 is maximal at about 82mph (6th gear). doing the speed limit in my car is actually bad for the environment.
i also noticed on my drive from San Fran to Houston, that no matter what the posted speed limit is, most people settle somewhere between 80 to 85mph.
I'd argue just about every car manufactured in the last 10-15 years can safely be driven in that range, albeit with various efficiencies.
I've searched for a table or website that list efficiency of each make and model. I can't find one, and I feel like it's one of those pieces of information that no one ever wants in print.
If anyone knows of this information, please post a link.