Texas Speed Limit may increase

[GalvestonDuck]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/200605 ... ateto80mph


Speed doesn't kill. It's that sudden stop that hurts ya.

[Janice]

You are so right. People tend to put their foot on the pedal a little heavier then they shoud, but I don't think a few miles faster will harm anything. One real danger is people driving slow in the fast lanes. I hate that.

[TexasStooge]

Just what we need, more opportunities for street racers.

[nholley]

It's about time limits went up. The limits are completely out of date and should be revised. At the same time the drivers test needs to be made harder, when i passed my test in Austin it consisted of leaving the DPS parking lot, turning left, left at the stop sign, left at the next stop sign, left at the next and back into the parking lot. Nowhere near enough to determine if i could handle a car.

And in my experience West Texas and anywhere north of Waco the unofficial limit seems to already be way higher than 80!

[gtalum]

Most rural interstates in the US should be limited at 80 or 90, not 70. The minimums should also be bumped significantly. It's nto speed that kills, it's spoeed differentials. You can't have people doing 40 mph on a road where the limit is 70 or higher.

[Derek Ortt]

we could even have an autobahn if people actually knew how to drive on an expressway... like slower traffic keeping right and let those going over 100 stay on the left

[gtalum]

We would also need betetr roads to have a true autobahn type experience. Our best interstates pale in quality compared to the German autobahns.

[GalvestonDuck]

Burns too much gas...I don't care to go that fast.

[JonathanBelles]

they need to set a 60 mph minimum for those slow people

[nholley]

We would also need betetr roads to have a true autobahn type experience. Our best interstates pale in quality compared to the German autobahns.

The French Autoroutes are also of an amazingly high standard. Once you understand the "rules of the road" out there it is a great driving experience.

[stormie_skies]

Crap! Its only in West Texas...

(Can you imagine the chaos in Houston if our speed limits went up to 80? LMAO...I shudder to think....)

I gots a lead foot, I'll admit it. Maybe this city just does that to you (?) But yeah ... I agree that its not speed that causes most of the trouble....its just plain bad driving...

[brunota2003]

From what I hear cars were made to go at 55 MPH...if you go more than that you actually waste gas...however...speed limits here on the highway outside of town are 70...so...its cool (dont ask me for a link to prove it...my mom told me she read it online somewhere but have no clue where...)

[Yankeegirl]

The people on the Beltway go fast... If you are going the speed limit, you look like you are standing still... I keep with the flow of traffic... Sometimes up to 80...

[george_r_1961]

IMO 65 is high enough except for some rural straight stretches where 70 would be fine. Higher speed limits would need to be strictly enforced with the usual 10 mph given in a lot of areas. In other words if the speed limit is 70 they need to start pulling ppl over who are doing even a few mph over the limit.

[wxmann_91]

It takes longer to brake if your traveling at a high speed and something sudden happens. Also you will be hurt a lot more from 90 to 0 then from 45 to 0.

[senorpepr]

IMO 65 is high enough except for some rural straight stretches where 70 would be fine. Higher speed limits would need to be strictly enforced with the usual 10 mph given in a lot of areas. In other words if the speed limit is 70 they need to start pulling ppl over who are doing even a few mph over the limit.

You haven't driven through the Midwest or West lately, have you?

Personally, I favor the higher speed limits in the rural areas. I also agree with the increased minima -- 40 mph is dangerous on any highway.

Germany has a very nice speed limit system.
Residental areas were 19 mph (30 km/hr)
City streets were 31 mph (50 km/hr)
Urban state highways were 44 mph (70 km/hr)
Rural state highways were 62 mph (100 km/hr)
Urban federal highways (autobahns) were 81 mph (130 km/hr)
Rural federal highways were not restricted.


Oddly enough... nearly everytime you saw someone pull a stupid stunt on the autobahns... they usually had US plates on their car...

[HurryKane]

I had the unpleasant (and unavoidable) experience of driving 55 on a 70 mph interstate to get to the tire shop on a compact spare. The average speed on that stretch of road I would put at 80 or so.

I spent a lot of time in the shoulder because 18-wheelers didn't care for my existence, nor did the people in the left lane who wouldn't let them in. I guess hazard lights are just sparkly fun to some folks

[Supercell Hunters]

Here is:

Urban residental area:50km/hr
Urban main streets:60km/hr
Urban motorways:100km/hr
Rural motorways:110km/hr
Large motorways:120km/hr
School zones:40km/hr

Anyway our CBD speed limit had changed to 40km/hr from 50km/hr!

[george_r_1961]

IMO 65 is high enough except for some rural straight stretches where 70 would be fine. Higher speed limits would need to be strictly enforced with the usual 10 mph given in a lot of areas. In other words if the speed limit is 70 they need to start pulling ppl over who are doing even a few mph over the limit.

You haven't driven through the Midwest or West lately, have you?
Personally, I favor the higher speed limits in the rural areas. I also agree with the increased minima -- 40 mph is dangerous on any highway.

Germany has a very nice speed limit system.
Residental areas were 19 mph (30 km/hr)
City streets were 31 mph (50 km/hr)
Urban state highways were 44 mph (70 km/hr)
Rural state highways were 62 mph (100 km/hr)
Urban federal highways (autobahns) were 81 mph (130 km/hr)
Rural federal highways were not restricted.


Oddly enough... nearly everytime you saw someone pull a stupid stunt on the autobahns... they usually had US plates on their car...

No I havent. I do know that any type of accident at 80 mph is likely to be fatal. This includes tire failure.

[Janice]

Wow, hard to believe anyone could live thru a 80 mph crash.