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How is it even possible/practical to obey traffic laws?
(lemmies.world)
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this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
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I think traffic laws in many cases cause more issues than they solve, though I don’t know enough to really say which types of laws are problematic.
I do notice that a lot of drivers which go over the speed limit because it’s too low tend to overdo it, driving too fast instead, for example. On roads where the speed limit is fairly high most people seem to drive at a speed close to it.
I also read a study a few years ago which claimed that removing speed limits actually causes most people to drive slower, but I can’t find it right now.
I had this experience in driving on wide open highway in nevada, the speed limit was 80 and to my surprise traffic was moving at maybe 83-ish. If I was doing 80 exactly it wouldn't cause any issues at all. That speed can easily be considered safe by anyone because there's effectively nothing to hit.
However, I still think that speed limits (25/35/50mph zones) are actually reasonable and the issue is that the majority of people vastly underestimate how impact forces and stopping distances are effected with increased speed. Decades ago, doing 60mph in a car was generally terrifying, now cars are so smooth and refined that it feels like nothing. I don't care how well-engineered your car is, though, it doesn't change the amount of force created on impact. In fact its even worse now with cars being so much heavier in general.
That study was in like central Amsterdam or Rotterdam or some other old European town with a city center that was meant for horses and people. It’s not applicable to like busy thoroughfares
IIRC the one I read was about some county in the US which temporarily had speed limits removed for some reason, in the last few decades at most.
Oh interesting. Hope you can find it I’d like to see it.