Speed limits, texting, and a poll.
 

I found this article and I have personally had thoughts like this in the past, while I would likely not go around at 100, however, I do feel that speed limits could use a reform. The poll is to see how often people with sports cars text and drive in comparison to those with less engaging cars, I think the poll is anonymous so be honest. I wouldn't imagine many here text and drive anyways though. I personally would never text and drive but as a teen I know that many, many, people my age do so.

Article link: http://www.thesmokingtire.com/2014/raise-speed-limits/

I text at red lights. I only answer the phone while moving and pull over to make calls unless on the interstate. (Illegal here now to dial)

Speed limits suck and are too slow. All freeways / highways / interstates should be 90-100 outside of city limits. That doesn't mean you have to drive that fast, but it's a reasonable limit.

At red lights and such is not an issue, thank you for your input.

Red lights only.

Now, google maps while my wife "navigates," yes...

in California, it is illegal to text or dial or use and app or talk on a phone in your hand even when stopped at a light.

Hands free means you are not holding the phone

It is illegal in the UK to hold a phone/text at all whilst driving & that includes waiting at lights or queuing in traffic, I have now again text whilst at a red light but try to avoid at all times.

On the other hand I agree that out of city speed limits need raising in most countries, I am more alert at higher speeds & my perception is hightened wheras at lower speeds driving boredom sets in.

We have motorway limits of 70mph & I think on the major motorways they could be raised to 100mph limit.

I disagree. Too many idiot drivers for those speeds. Do you really want that nutso college girl flying down the interstate at 90mph whilst checking her makeup and/ or talking on the phone?

The general idea is that at a higher speed someone like this would be more concerned with the road, and as the article states, these limits are auto specific, my personal idea would be that you would get a certain class license. Say a boxster is a class B car, and a excursion is a class D car. Not only would testing be more suited to the class of car you drive but my opinion on speed would be that say a class B car can go 30 over on non city roads and say class D is restricted to the limit.

Hmmmm....on second thought, those types already drive that way and at those speeds :rolleyes:

I'm probably going to be called a heretic, but now that the speed limit on Virginia interstates is 70, I think things are about right. There are a lot of folks out there who take driving for granted, and letting them legally go faster won't make them any more aware. Modern vehicles (big ol' SUVs in particular ) isolate drivers from what's really going on. At 80 you feel like you are in your living room.
Classifying vehicles would just be a mess. Ever been to a big SCCA autocross where folks are griping about what class a certain car is in?
Driving our cars at the limit is fun and exhilarating, but we have to keep it safe. Save up and do track days or Autocross events.

I find it a unbelievable that anyone would try to type a message on a 2 inch keyboard at anytime when they are holding a telephone in their hand, much less while driving. Have never texted and don't intend to while there is an alternative.

I wonder how safety statistics on the autobahn stack up against freeways with speed limits?

Bingo! When the speed limit on I-15 in central and southern Utah went from 75 to 80, no one seemed to drive much differently. They are considering raising it to 85. Oregon has a 65 MPH speed limit statewide and lots of people (including me) go 70-75 (and sometimes get tickets). I've heard that in Europe driver's licenses are much more expensive and require a lot more training.

Anyone who texts and drives is an idiot and should lose their driver's license :mad:!

Yeah we have to sit a 50 question theory test, then a 14 section hazard perception test followed then by an actual driving test.

Then if you have a manual licence you can drive auto or manual but if you have an auto licence then you are stuck with auto's only. ;)

I use a blue tooth to make calls and voice text during my 30 min each way commute. I'm on a toll road doing 80+ for 30 mins, I can use cruise most of the time. Hardly any turns and mostly light but getting worse every year traffic. When I first started using the toll road the limit was 70 and you could drive with your eyes close and just stay between the dummy dots. Each year more and more people are willing to pay to stay off the parking lot aka I35. Recently they raised the limit to 75 and then to 80 to attract more people. That was ok even if it increased traffic because just about everyone was doing the same speed. The worst change was when they lowered the toll for semi- trucks. They "only" do 60 or 65. I don't know if it's for fuel economy or related to amount of time they can drive but they cause the worst traffic. If you get one doing 62 passing one doing 60, traffic backs up and takes miles to unwind and cause extreme frustration for several drivers. I don't think "mixed" speed limits would work well with a moderate amount of regular traffic. Maybe on the open roads in West Texas it could work but I can't see it working on I35 at anytime between San Antonio to the North Texas border.

That is a very stupid idea to say the least.

Most highways should be raised to at least 130 kph

Speed is not the major problem, it's when you have some one going 130 compared to 90 kph is when you have a problem. The speed difference is the danger. You are coming up so quick on the other guy chances are he will not see you coming and that's where a lot of accidents happen. It is a lot safer if every one is going the same speed either faster or slower.

Alot less multi car accidents and less of a death rate, I would contribute some of this to the smaller vehicles rather than speed and maybe even build quality, but while people drive 150 and wreck, pileups and such are much less common.

That isn't the case in Germany, passing does need serious reform though as there is a major respect for only using the left lane in the case of passing in Germany. As for the comment about trucks passing being a major problem, this would likely be more suited for a 3 or more lane highway with no trucks allowed in the left.

It is 85 from Tooele to Wendover.

For the most part, 3 lane roads are in the city and all the highways "out in the country" are 2 lanes. In the city (Austin) we already restrict semis to the right two lanes and it helps a lot but the amount of traffic those roads see wouldn't support mixed speed limit use.