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Why are we so weird about speed limits (US)? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 hours ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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  1. Why does everyone drive 10-15 miles above the speed limit?

  2. Why don't we raise the speed limit if that's how fast everyone wants to go?

  3. Why is traffic enforcement given to very expensive and ineffective police instead of cheaper and more automated traffic cameras?

  4. Why do we refuse to ever use ANY traffic calming measures? Yes, than you flashing digital sign for telling me I'm going 10 miles above the limit on this incredibly wide and straight and flat road with high curbs and perfect visibility.

It's a serious confusion I have about how society is supposed to operate because it seems like a complete and total breakdown of logic and sense.

And, yes, I know there's some thing people did long ago to set the speed limit at some percentile of what people were already traveling at, but that's obviously a stupid way to do it and we did it anyway. So why?

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[–] 25 points 4 hours ago (7 children)

Not stopping at a stop sign is far from "anally technical."

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  • [–] 4 points 2 hours ago* (1 child)

    Stop signs in the US are so damn common you guys invented the "rolling stop". Outside the US I think I've met like ten stop-signs total. You can bet your ass I'm coming to a complete stop when I see one, since they're so rare I know they're there for a good reason.

    For some reason the US decided to put stop signs all the places everyone else just has a "yield" sign (unsure of the proper English term, but it's the upside down triangle indicating you have to yield to any other traffic), or just ordinary right-hand rule with no sign at all.

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  • [–] 1 point 15 minutes ago

    Come to France, they love useless stop signs. Then a random village has 9 intersections where you have to yield right and you can't see shit.

    But also don't use French roads they're covered in illegal speed bumps with inconsistent sizes not conformant with international standards for clearance of road vehicles, random illegal obstacles pretending to be “traffic calming” and no enforcement of actual rules that improve safety like speed limits in towns, safety distances and phone use.

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  • [–] 10 points 3 hours ago (4 children)

    You’re coming to a 4 way stop. No one is around. You slow to approx 3 mph, then move through as no one is around. That’s pretty fucking anal

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  • [–] 9 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

    Clearly someone was around if the police were able to spot it.

    Just press down on the damn brake pedal until all four wheels come to a complete stop. It's really not that hard.

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  • [–] 2 points 41 minutes ago (1 child)

    Seems anal given every other damn country would use a "yield" or "give way" sign which you can drive through if you see it's clear. Like, on a very open junction at an oblique angle you may barely need to slow down. Or just slow down enough to make the turn.

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  • [–] 1 point 16 minutes ago*

    Yep. America used to have a shitload more yield signs, but they've almost all been replaced with stop signs because some stupid idiots can't be bothered to pay attention when driving. All these overdone rules exist to treat every driver as the lowest common denominator of intelligence and capacity, frustrating the fuck out of those of us who actually know how to drive well & don't like coming to a complete stop when it's unnecessary because it's inefficient, and often just "safety theater."

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  • [–] 1 point 1 hour ago

    You come to a stop at a stop sign, how many seconds do you have to wait for it to be considered a full and complete stop?

    Can you prove it? Does proving it even matter to the cop that pulls you over for running the stop sign?

    I've had this happen and luckily the cop failed to show to court so the ticket was thrown out...but what if he had shown up? I have no idea.

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