I think it is dangerous.
With an 85 limit, people will regularly exceed 90 mph on the highways.
This will make sudden stops extremely difficult to make safely.
Not necessarily - drivers tend to know the safe speed to travel -
found this on a website -:
In other words, regardless of whether the speed limit was set at 65 mph or 75 mph, motorists drove between 73.2 and 74.8 mph.Click her for full link
Speeding in itself is not the big problem - Excessive speed -for the conditions are along with other variable.
Keep in mind that 85 MPH will only be for long stretches in the middle of nowhere.
What does it matter.
On my morning commute to work I regularly see people drive between 80 and 90 mph.
Many times we just creep past a cop until he is a little behind and then it's bon voyage.
Sure is fun on my Kawasaki Ninja 650!
And this is on the freeways in Houston, Texas.
Your link refers to a study of speed limit differentials; it doesn't really address the issue of a higher speed limit.
The study did indicate that compliance with speed limits is greater with higher limits, so fewer people will likely speed with a higher limit.
I acknowledge this.
However, you have not substantiated that there would not be significant speeding with an 85 mph limit.
Most people would likely stay below an 85 mph limit.
However, a significant minority would likely exceed 85 mph, and this could be dangerous for the highway.
I would think that the biggest problem - excluding the idiot who ALWAYS has to go 20 MPH over everybody else - would be the speed differential rather than the posted speed. Equally dangerous are those who just love to chat with friends as they drive in the left lane at 5-10 MPH BELOW the limit; totally oblivious to ANY traffic in their vicinity.
One will have to make sure the tires are in good shape. 85mph is pushing it. With cheaper tires your risk of a blow out is increased. A front blow out at 85 with two finger on the steering wheel and the other hand on the cell phone and you may end up dead not to mention that you may take a few others to face judgment with you.
On a freeway the speed of vehicles is self limiting because highway capacity increases as the speed of traffic drops. Maximum capacity is around 35 MPH.
Most drivers regulate their speed limits according to conditions. When there was no speed limit in Montana most cars moved around 70-75 MPH.
The reason for speed limits is that it is easier to write speeding tickets than for following to close and unsafe lane change. The judge is more likely to believe
a radar machine than an officer's judgement and so would most drivers. Speeding tickets generate fewer arguments because most drivers know they are intentionally speeding.
Wow...funny to see how the so-called "smaller government" folks are all for the government taking away your freedom to drive faster? Where are the Tea Partiers protesting speed limits? :laugh:
I think it's a great idea. Anyone who's ever driven in the barren expanses of west Texas would probably agree. Woe be though to any road runner who can't keep up!
I was angry when Montana caved in to national pressure from D.C., and reduced it's speed limit to 75 MPH. There used to be no speed limit out here. I have had my Jaguar up to over 140 MPH, on Rte 200. It was cool.