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Finally, whats with the minimum speed limit signs. I have not seen those signs along any other highway in new york besides the LIE.
I've seen them in Utah. Also have seen signs which show 75 mph day limit, 65 mph night limit.
The reason for minimum speed is to maintain the safe flow of traffic. Could you imagine how much worse it would be if someone hopped on a tractor and did 10 mph in the right lane? Everyone would be swerving around him.
Just because everyone else was speeding doesn't make it right. If you're in the HOV speeding, you're a sitting duck.
You cannot use that excuse for speeding either as you're actually not "maintaining the flow of traffic" because what's going on in the non-HOV lanes does not affect you at all as they cannot get to you except at the isolated and marked merge in points. They are completely separated from you as you are in your own single lane and are setting your own pace, which the police can clearly see. As for being from out-of-state, that is no excuse either as the speed limit is posted for all to see.
Driving below the flow of traffic is actually dangerous. By doing so, drivers behind will most likely to pass you. Passing requires changing lanes, and every time one changes lanes, there is a heightened risk of an accident since the driver may not look thoroughly or check his blind spots. Therefore, driving at 55 miles an hour causes accidents.
Besides, LIE traffic flows WAY over 55... a report from a while stated 65, but my guess is 70. If traffic speeds follow a standard distribution ranging from about 50 to about 90, only around 10% of drivers are actually following the speed limit. Ten percent! How can there exist a law that 90% of the population can safely ignore? Accidents are caused by lack of attention to other cars and the road-- not by driving at the same speed as everyone else. I can think of one other moment in history where we had a folly of a law that everyone ignored and was eventually repealed-- Prohibition.
Also, can someone please explain to me the logical gap between having the same exact speed limit on an interstate and roads with traffic lights, buildings, and pedestrians (Jericho Turnpike, 454, etc)? Are you trying to say that traffic flows at the same rate on the LIE and on the 454? Is traveling at 56 miles an hour on Route 454 as dangerous as doing so on the LIE?
At a certain point, we have to sit back and accept that people in power are incapable of logic.
I actually wouldn't fight as hard if they would lower the limits on roads like 109, 110, 347, etc. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever that those roads allow lights, side roads without lights and parking lots to empty out onto a 50mph road, but a highway with dedicated on/off ramps only has 5mph more.
I actually wouldn't fight as hard if they would lower the limits on roads like 109, 110, 347, etc. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever that those roads allow lights, side roads without lights and parking lots to empty out onto a 50mph road, but a highway with dedicated on/off ramps only has 5mph more.
This is what always confuses me. In NJ, the State highways are limited to 55 mph, while interstates are usually 65 mph. However, flow of traffic on the turnpike is more like 70-72 mph while on interior roads flow of traffic is equal to the speed limit.
Thank you for your descriptive, well thought out post. It surely answered the questions asked above.
No problemo!
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