The National Safety Commission Alerts
Safety is No Accident. Visit the National Safety Commission - America's Safety Headquarters for driver safety information, auto recalls and teen safe driver tips.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Do You Obey The Speed Limit
If you asked a group of people what the most disobeyed
traffic sign is most of them would say the stop sign or the yield sign. In
fact, the most disobeyed traffic sign on our roads, streets, and highways is
the maximum "Speed Limit" sign.
Speed limits are most frequently set through statutes. Speed
limits can usually be lowered, or sometimes raised, from the legislated speed
limit through a process called speed zoning. Common factors included in speed
zoning are: 85th percentile speed (the speed at which 85% of the traffic is traveling), design speed,
road features, crash records, administrative judgment, engineering judgment,
and political influence.
State laws usually allow either state or local authorities to
set highway speed limits above or below the statutory ones. Prior to taking
such action on any portion of a highway, the law normally requires that
governmental authorities conduct a study to determine the safe speed limit for
that part of the highway. State laws may also allow such authorities to specify
different speed limits on all or selected highways either
for various times of the day or for various types of vehicles (e.g., trucks). For instance, the Texas
Transportation Commission recently voted in favor of increasing the speed limit
to 85 MPH on a toll road, State Highway 130. The concern with raising the speed limit is most drivers do not see the posted speed limit as the maximum speed limit they should be driving for safety. To manage the safety of motorists will require strict enforcement of the posted limit by the Texas law enforcement.
Each states government and law enforcement is careful in
setting the appropriate “speed limit” for our streets, roads, and highways. Drivers
that are speeding, which could be driving just one mile over the maximum speed
limit, continue to be a prevalent factor adding to vehicle crashes. In 2008,
speeding was a factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes and more than 11,000
lives were lost in speeding-related crashes (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811166.PDF).
Next time you head out on the road ask yourself "Am I a safe
driver"? Be aware of the posted speed limits and check how fast you’re actually
driving. A 55 MPH speed limit on a highway means 55, not 65. The speed limits apply to all lanes- right,
center, and yes, even the left lane. A 30 MPH speed limit sign in a residential
street means 30, not 40, even when there are no other cars are around.
Labels: Law Enforcement, maximum speed limit, Speed Limit, traffic signs
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