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Why are we so weird about speed limits (US)? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 7 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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[–] 9 points 4 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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  • [–] 2 points 2 hours 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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