Studies tend to show that people do the same speed, on a given stretch of road, regardless of what the posted limit is. This is because they do the speed that they perceive to be safe. They don't speed by the same amount; the speed is constant.
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The Cost of speeding in Canada
- Thread starter N3WMAN
- Start date
^^^This.
If the limit on the 400 series jumped to 200km/h, do you think that everyone would still be cruising 20-30km's over the limit? If the average speed on a stretch of highway is 125km/h, then the limit should be 130km/h. You shouldn't be breaking the law all the time. Ticket prices however, should go up, a lot. Limit is 130, at 135 you get slapped with a $400 ticket and you'll think twice about it. Not to mention, at higher speeds people have more of a tendency to pay attention to their driving. At 100 texting is perceived to be safe, at 130 it isn't. This would also free up a lot of police time. If they collected the same 'revenue' from 10 tickets that they used to collect in 40, then they're better off. Not to mention since fewer people would be 'speeding', more of an emphasis would be placed on other illegal driving activities that are far more dangerous than what is considered speeding now. Lastly, insurance companies should not be allowed to raise premiums unless they've had to pay out. It costs insurance companies nothing when you're caught speeding, yet they raise rates. Get in an accident, and they raise rates again. They should only raise the rates when you do cause an accident and they have to pay for your mistakes. No one worries about the $200 ticket, they worry about the $300 increase in rates for the next 6 years. Why are insurance companies profiting from this when it's the province that has to pay for policing?
3 months after BC increased their speed limits the BC transportation minister confirmed that speeds have not changed.
great post
It's not speeding, it's "Spirited Riding". At least that's what i've heard it called by some people.
Shane
Shane
Yes. I actually people would. Because that speed limit would not "be enough" and they would need to go faster. Not everyone would, but there would still be the same amount who currently do it now.
Shane
You might believe what you want but actual data (facts) say otherwise. Most People will always go at the speed they perceive is safe for them, of course there are always exceptions but those are not the norm and freeing the police from ticketing people doing 130 on a 6 lane highway will allow them to deal with these exceptions properly.
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Those are the same people that do idiotic speeds no matter what the posted limit is. Drivers follow a bell curve with respect to speed, there will always be those that drive/ride above the 75th percentile. And instead of a one week impoundment at 50 over, they just flat out confiscate the vehicle permanently. Sell it at auction and use the proceeds for something useful. I also think photo radar should be brought back. A few cops can't possibly enforce speed limits all along the arteries all day long. Not only is it financially not feasible, but ends up causing traffic congestion because the second people see a cop car, they slam on the brakes. Mount permanent cameras under every overpass and let nature run it's course.
Unfortunately the slamming on of brakes isn't limited to when drivers see police cars. In the days of the photo RADAR vans people were hammering the brakes every time that they saw a vehicle at the side of the road, which created a dangerous situation.
If speed limits were reasonable, then even I might consider the return of photo RADAR. At that point it would become an issue of real safety, rather than a thinly veiled cash cow.
I'm ok with photo radar if they let us use radar detectors.
I like the US interstate system where it's 70-80mph between cities in the middle of nowhere, and slows down gradually to 55-65mph as you're going through a populated city/area. So leave the speed limit 100km/h from ajax to mississauga, and then 120-ish on the outskirts. (as a crude example)
I don't mean the few people that know how to drive and are travelling at 20-30 km/h over the speed on the freeways, but there are many people on the roads that are unsafe at any speed. If you increase the speed limit that will entice people to drive or ride faster.
When I'm riding on dry roads I'm travelling at 10-15 km/h above the speed of traffic so I'm not being passed by people that can't drive and I'm not travelling too fast so I can easily and comfortably deal with stupidity ahead.
When I'm riding on dry roads I'm travelling at 10-15 km/h above the speed of traffic so I'm not being passed by people that can't drive and I'm not travelling too fast so I can easily and comfortably deal with stupidity ahead.
Long but good read.
www.civ.utoronto.ca/sect/traeng/its/downloads/gta-speed-limits-study.pdf
www.civ.utoronto.ca/sect/traeng/its/downloads/gta-speed-limits-study.pdf
I tend to disbelieve vaguely described studies that use words like tend.
If 33% go 5 or more above the limit, 33% go 5 or more below, and 34 go in between, you could conclude that people TEND to go the limit.
Anywhere I've been, people tend towards a speed limit over time.
My thought on raising limits, is that there may be a fear of liability.
By allowing people to speed in certain areas by certain amounts, there is no increased liability, and they just pick off the outliers for infractions.
A 10 kph difference in velocity, can make a very big difference in stopping distance at higher speeds.
Speed doesn't necessarily kill, be it definitely exacerbates the situation.
If 33% go 5 or more above the limit, 33% go 5 or more below, and 34 go in between, you could conclude that people TEND to go the limit.
Anywhere I've been, people tend towards a speed limit over time.
My thought on raising limits, is that there may be a fear of liability.
By allowing people to speed in certain areas by certain amounts, there is no increased liability, and they just pick off the outliers for infractions.
A 10 kph difference in velocity, can make a very big difference in stopping distance at higher speeds.
Speed doesn't necessarily kill, be it definitely exacerbates the situation.
Words like "tend" are used because very little in this world is absolute. There are always exceptions. I tend not to trust studies that make absolute declarations.
I would also warn that pollsters like stop100.ca and local newspapers (thestar, torontosun) suffer horribly from selection bias. In statistics it's called 'Voluntary Response Bias' where only people who're passionate about the subject participate in the poll; they're not scientific and shouldn't even be entertained whatsoever.
These polls are not representative of the 85th percentile nor the larger driving population; more importantly, i doubt the voting population are represented either.
Interesting observations from Waze: these are some live speeds in km/h i've captured using Waze Map Editor & Route Speed Script. Speeds are based on live speeds from active Wazers using these highways right now.
E/B 407ETR @ Hwy 404
E/B Hwy 401 Express @ Hwy 404
State Hwy 130 N/B, Texas (85mph Limit)
These polls are not representative of the 85th percentile nor the larger driving population; more importantly, i doubt the voting population are represented either.
Interesting observations from Waze: these are some live speeds in km/h i've captured using Waze Map Editor & Route Speed Script. Speeds are based on live speeds from active Wazers using these highways right now.
E/B 407ETR @ Hwy 404
E/B Hwy 401 Express @ Hwy 404
State Hwy 130 N/B, Texas (85mph Limit)
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There is an important piece of data missing from those maps, the time of the day. I ride/drive the 407 everyday and most people drive it between 120 and 140 (from observation) with some exceptions going above or below that. So I am pressed to believe the speeds reflected on your maps.
I would also warn that pollsters like stop100.ca and local newspapers (thestar, torontosun) suffer horribly from selection bias. In statistics it's called 'Voluntary Response Bias' where only people who're passionate about the subject participate in the poll; they're not scientific and shouldn't even be entertained whatsoever.
These polls are not representative of the 85th percentile nor the larger driving population; more importantly, i doubt the voting population are represented either.
Interesting observations from Waze: these are some live speeds in km/h i've captured using Waze Map Editor & Route Speed Script. Speeds are based on live speeds from active Wazers using these highways right now.
E/B 407ETR @ Hwy 404
E/B Hwy 401 Express @ Hwy 404
State Hwy 130 N/B, Texas (85mph Limit)
Speeds from the previous pictures were taken at the time of my post so Sunday Oct 19, 2014 at 01:00AM (EDT)
E/B 407ETR @ Hwy 404
[URL="http://i1.someimage.com/v8VboNQ.png"]http://i1.someimage.com/v8VboNQ.png[/URL][IMG]
E/B Hwy 401 Express @ Hwy 404
[IMG][URL="http://i1.someimage.com/Xrp6DYl.png"]http://i1.someimage.com/Xrp6DYl.png[/URL][IMG]
State Hwy 130 (85mph Limit)
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/vWH5jZZ.png
E/B 407ETR @ Hwy 404
[URL="http://i1.someimage.com/v8VboNQ.png"]http://i1.someimage.com/v8VboNQ.png[/URL][IMG]
E/B Hwy 401 Express @ Hwy 404
[IMG][URL="http://i1.someimage.com/Xrp6DYl.png"]http://i1.someimage.com/Xrp6DYl.png[/URL][IMG]
State Hwy 130 (85mph Limit)
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/vWH5jZZ.png
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