Advocacy & Safety - Speed limit

I have a simple question:

What does "speed limit" mean?

Judging by traffic, it must mean the minimum allowable speed. Have you ever tried to drive the actual speed limit? According to the signs, it is perfectly legal to drive this slowly. But I just don't seem to be very popular doing so.

I hope that I don't get a ticket on my bike. I often find it difficult to attain the posted speed limit when not in my car.

In Atlanta, aka "Psycho Motorist Capital of the World" one need only briefly encounter the brain dead cagers on the bypass or I-20 to be convinced that the speed limit does indeed mean "minimum speed". I live 2-1/2 hours due east of Atlanta, and of all the times I have traveled through, not once have I seen anyone pulled over unless they were exceeding 80mph. :(

Alphageek...

Ever broken the law and biked the Riverwatch Parkway? I did that one night in a desperate attempt to get home between thunderstorms. (My levee road was dirt soup by then.) Whatta rush... 85mph traffic whizzing by, inches from my frantic pedalling. I felt like I was pacing Talledega on my old Fooge.

But it was by driving the Riverwatch that I learned that "Speed Limit" is a mythical creature, like "Troll" or "Unicorn." You hear about them, but they never really ever existed.

Stumon, you are within your legal rights to ride the Riverwatch Pkwy, because it is not an Interstate Hwy.

Here's the reference straight out of the Driver's Manual:
"Bicyclists are legally entitled to use every road in Georgia except the interstate highways."

http://www.ganet.org/dps/drivers/chap_3.htm#bike

Now whether you want to ride out there with all those whackos... Now that's another matter! ;)

Originally posted by Stumon
But it was by driving the Riverwatch that I learned that "Speed Limit" is a mythical creature, like "Troll" or "Unicorn." You hear about them, but they never really ever existed.
I think concepts like "speed limit," "right of way," "stop on red," etc. aren't really necessary unless other people also fail to follow them.

The small 'burg about 5 miles from my house has a posted speed limit of 35. I decided last night that a perfect certificate of bicycling achievement would be to get a ticket from the local part-time sheriff.

So, how'd it go?

So far he has not been on duty when I have gone through. Undaunted, I will continue speeding and being a menace to society.

Originally posted by HuffyMan
Undaunted, I will continue speeding and being a menace to society.

You rascal you! ;) Watch out for Boss Hogg! :D

Servus!

Friend of mine was ticketed by one of Mesa Arizona's finest for traveling 35 mph on his bike through a 25 area. When we went to court, the judge (bless him) fined the police officer for wasting the court's time and for not encouraging active citizens like my friend.

He still has the ticket and court order framed and displayed in his home to this day.

Great story Ranger.

Ah yes, the wonderful concept of a speed limit! What a waste of paper that is. Around here, people who drive at anything less than 20km/h above it are likely to get their back end caved in by some redneck who thinks he will die if he doesn't get from point A to point B in the next five minutes (and who isn't smart enough to understand the concept of actually leaving five minutes earlier).

Personally, I think traffic behaviour is the one area of the law that needs and demands zero-tolerance policing and a fascist police state.

Chris

This morning on my ride in to work I had the opportunity to pass through a section of road where the local police had radar set up. It was gratifying to know I was only doing 19.5 mph in a 25 mph zone. Of course there was a slight uphill grade. ;)

The cars drove passed me a little slower, UNTIL they were around the bend in the road. Then they took off like h---. I guess these must be the same people who drive through my neighborhood and "slow down" to about 15mph at each stop sign. I suppose they slow down so their car doesn't roll over when turning the corner. :D

Ron

When motoring, I make it a point to hold my speed at the posted maximum speed limit (or even slower, when conditions warrant), irrespective of pressure from those behind me. On a multilane highway, I leave the inner lane open for those who wish to overtake me, but I refuse to succumb to peer pressure to drive dangerously or illegally fast.

On California's local roads, our biggest traffic enforcement nightmare is the "85th percentile law," which states that a motorist cannot be cited for exceeding a posted speed limit, provided that his reported speed did not exceed the 85th percentile speed among motorists on that stretch of road, as measured and computed during a survey. This homicidally-written anti-speedtrap legislation allows the fastest 15 percent of drivers to undermine attempts by local communities to calm traffic, to make their roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and even motorists.

Originally posted by John E
When motoring, I make it a point to hold my speed at the posted maximum speed limit (or even slower, when conditions warrant), irrespective of pressure from those behind me. On a multilane highway, I leave the inner lane open for those who wish to overtake me, but I refuse to succumb to peer pressure to drive dangerously or illegally fast.

On California's local roads, our biggest traffic enforcement nightmare is the "85th percentile law," which states that a motorist cannot be cited for exceeding a posted speed limit, provided that his reported speed did not exceed the 85th percentile speed among motorists on that stretch of road, as measured and computed during a survey. This homicidally-written anti-speedtrap legislation allows the fastest 15 percent of drivers to undermine attempts by local communities to calm traffic, to make their roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and even motorists.

That would mean that I-5 in LA County and Orange County, you could be given a ticket at 20 MPH, the actual speed limit notwithstanding.

Jonathan

Originally posted by John E
When motoring, I make it a point to hold my speed at the posted maximum speed limit (or even slower, when conditions warrant), irrespective of pressure from those behind me.
John,

I wanted to quote your whole post, but that would have been redundant. Sufficient to say that you have echoed my exact feelings and experiences perfectly.

As you mentioned in another post, it seems that cycling makes better drivers of many of us. I believe children who learn proper cycling techniques are far more likely to be intelligent drivers later on. Since teenage driving accidents are the number one killer of our youth, teaching them safe cycling becomes more and more appealing (who knows, they may become infrequent drivers, as well!) :thumbup:

In the USA we had a 55-mph (88-kmph) maximum speed limit for some years on most major highways--owing to a perceived fuel shortage.

Then the limit was raised again, no doubt at the behest of the oil producers, who effectively own a lot of political power.

I always felt 55 mph was plenty fast, but could find almost nobody that agreed with me.

Jon Rutherford,

Two quick points:

1) The introduction of the 55 mile-per-hour limit resulted in the very well documented decrease in traffic fatalities;

2) I used to travel roughly 25 minutes on the freeway at speed limit on a regular basis. Upon attempting to decrease my arrival time by increasing my speed by 10 miles per hour, I saved a few minutes.

3) On my bike, in an hour-long ride to work, a one mile per hour increase in average speed saves about the same amount of time.

4) Did I say two quick points?

:blush: