Can Speed Save Lives?

[RobBrady]

The Detroit News has reported that the chairman of a Michigan State Police Committee on Driver Behavior, Thad Peterson, believes that having speed limits that are too low for the road is a major contributor to aggressive driving.

He used changes made along a stretch of Michigan Interstate 496 as an example. He claimed that this section, which accounted for 40 percent of reported incidents of aggressive driving in that particular area, had witnessed a reduction to zero following an increase in the speed limit from 55 mph to 70 mph. He also stated that rush hour congestion and the accident rate had declined as a result.

Peterson added, "The low speed limit frustrated many drivers, so they drove over the speed limit. This caused problems for other drivers who were driving at the limit. The speed differential caused the tailgating, passing, and speeding that were reported as 'aggressive' driving".
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Robert Brady

[AliOnHols]

I can relate to this. The road from our village to the dual carriageway used to be National Speed Limit, i.e. 90km/h. (here that translates into "up to 110kmh") It is a normal single carriageway country road, with one lane in each direction. Everything was fine.

About six months ago, the road speed limit was reduced to 60km/h with a solid white, no-overtaking, line for it's entire 6km length. For this road, 60km/h is ridiculously slow.

There have been at least 4 accidents on the road now that the limit has been reduced. People get frustrated sitting behind a car which is sticking to the 60km/h speed limit and overtake, sometimes with dire consequences.
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[DarrenR21373]

There must be something right in this theory...

Apparently, the same thing happened in Italy. They raised the motorway speed limit to 90-ish MPH (150KMH, I think) and the accident rate fell dramatically.

If only the UK would come to its senses and drop the useless Variable Speed Limits (which in my experience driving 40,000 miles a year plus simply don't work, but I'm sure they raise a lot of revenue for Gormless Brown) and instead raise the limit to at least 80...
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Drive carefully; the Government needs all the Taxpayers it can get.

[teddy5]

This happened in tennessee about 10 years ago they lifted limit to 70 mph and it helped with frustration and congestion but in certain areas and times it is only 45mph .
regards Teddy

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