Speed Limits
 

What sort of spped limits do you have over in the USA? (ie. what speeds?)

It depends on the road you're driving on. I believe most Intersates (federal) are 65 MPH (about 100 KmH?) outside of major metro areas, some down to 45 MPH (don't know the conversion on that one in my head) inside them. Is that what you're looking for?

Don't need conversions, we still use Imperial measurements (ie. miles) for our roads. Yet we can be criminally prosecuted for selling food items in Imperial measurements. :confused:

So the highest speed you get is 65 mph?

We have 5 mph, 10 mph (both normally on private property that many people use, eg. caravan sites), 20 mph (used in areas where there are a lot of kiddies on the streets running around), 30 mph (standard inner-city speed), 40 mph(standard for roads tht run through residential areas with drives, ie. slightly less urban areas), 50 mph (not used much, but is seen sometimes), 60 mph (normal speed for anything without another speed, most B (country) roads), and 70 mph for motorways and dual-carriageways (which are either 2, 3 or 4 lanes each way).

As of a couple years back the maximum speed was raised, but it's up to individual states to decide where they will draw the line on their roads. There are now many Interstates in North Carolina (where I grew up) where the speed limit is 70MPH. I'm not sure what the maximum allowed by the feds is. (I don't think it was ever actually illegal to have speeds that high; it's just that the federal government made a policy to cut off highway funds for those states whose speed limits were "too high." They "non-mandated" a raising of the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in the same way about 15 years ago. Federalism by bribery, in other words.)

Some highways in the U.S. go up to 70mph.

Oh, speaking of converting units, my sister once had a car with a digital speedometer, and there was a little switch to change from miles to km. Once she was driving me somewhere and I amused myself by switching it to km when she wasn't looking. It was great fun to watch her driving through a 35 MPH zone with a 45 on the speedometer, wondering why everybody else was going so fast!!

Actually, there are freeways in the US that are 75MPH... the stretch I drive from Spanish Fork UT (about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City) to Las Vegas NV is 75MPH except a short section through Arizona which drops it to 55 for a windy canyon area. I believe 75 is the highest you'll find, though.

Yoink!
 

[begin Achille.Laura.scenario]
Does anyone know if there is a daylight limit in Wyoming or Montana? An urban myth is that there isn't, and that the nighttime speed drops to 65 for safety reasons.
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most (all?) colorado highways are 75, except over select stretches through cities or over mountains.

as far as wyoming goes, i regularly take i-25 up to i-80 and across to nebraska. while its not a lot of interstate to travel, both roads are for the most part 75mph. i dont see why you couldnt reasonably go much faster, because that stretch of i-80 is always deserted. just be careful when you hit nebraska, the cops there are jerks.

~james

The main highway through Montana had no limit at all for a long time. I think they've changed it now though. :(

The German AutoBahns have no speed limit. But they probably have more than 4 lanes.

German autobahns have speed limits in cities. Between cities they don't. They are also almost always two lanes each direction in between cities and upwards of 4 lanes each in the larger cities.

They are fun to drive, but I swear Germans drive as crazy as anyone else; they do 200 kph in the rain and accidents on the autobahns are nasty affairs, nastier than US interstates, I'll wager.

Also, oftentimes the autobahn are being maintained. To do that they shut down one side and route traffic to one lane each on the other side, so speeds then drop dramatically.

The daytime speed limit on interstate highways in MT used to be "reasonable and prudent." That was changed to 75 in 1999. (Source)

10 states have a 75mph max: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NE, NV, NM, SD, UT, and WY. 18 other states have 70mph limits, including my native Missouri. Every other state is 65, except for Hawaii (55mph). (Rand McNally 2002 atlas)

Missouri uses a graded system. I'm not sure how it is in KC, but in St. Louis, most of the interstates are 60, except for near downtown, where they are 55. 70 out in the country. Other limited-access highways vary, from 55 to 70.

I don't see interstates with a speed limit less than 55 too often, but they're out there. The Vine St. Expwy. (I-676) here in Philadelphia is one (50mph). The JFX in Baltimore City (I-83) is another (50mph).

Daytime is reasonable and prudent for existing conditions. It's the cops call but if you're doing much over 100 mph you better be driving something thats looks safe or they'll pull you over for a safety check, ie vehicle condition and attitude.
At night they had to drop it to 65mph because of all the critters on the road. Things bigger than dogs.;)

Well this is where we need that extended night vision and ir and threat detection. And advance sensor drones that fly ahead of the car to check out conditions ahead. From their latest advertising it seems like Cadillac is just about done with those features. Didja see that one where the woman's eyes turn into car headlights? Creepy.

In Texas, we have 35mph in residential areas, 20mph when the kids are going to/coming out of school. 45 or 55 mph in divided highways around residential areas, 65 on state highways and 70mph on interstates (IH-35 and the like).

Don't for forget - Click it or ticket.

The Germans are the ones who came up with the idea of using a helicopter for medevac from highway accidents. With the number of highspeed crashes that happen on the autobahn, they needed it.

Many of the original American medevac choppers (including the first US one at Shocktrauma in MD were Messerschmitts, which have a jet-assist.

I think it was the mushrooms.:D

And here I thought I was the only one who had that idea! Although I was thinking more for speed-trap detection...

Heck, I'm ready for complete auto-control of some kind. I hate driving... it's wasted time as far as I'm concerned that could be better spent reading or sleeping.

I find driving to be highly enjoyable under the right circumstances... driving my Camaro SS up a windy canyon on a warm summer night with the T-Tops off and a little Dean Martin in the CD player... good stuff. Especially with some good company and conversation under the stars.

I actually love driving, sometimes I do it just for the sake of doing it. But that would not be my only oddity. I think I have one other. Oddity, I mean.

Search and destroy.:eek:

I would love an efficient, highspeed rail right down the Mississippi. Mpls to Chicago, St Louis, swing through TX to New Orleans. I would buy a frequent bar car pass.

That was my previous rant/idea on my site. See www link below.
Basically it was the idea that the airlines could purchase and run bullet/HST commuter trains. They look like wingless airliners already.

Unless Southwest is running them, I don't think I'd trust the airlines running trains.

I'm hoping that having the 'wingless plane' on a track going one way would be easy enough for them to grasp, but hey, I've been wrong before.

Can you say HEAD ON.:rolleyes:

Rail is a fairly effective way to transport goods and people between major cities in this exceptionally large country, however, rail don't make no money. Amtrak only exists because of government subsidies. They've been running at a loss from the day they started, which, IIRC, resulted from the bankruptcy of Penn Central.

I'm with you Pastrami; I love driving. Especially if I'm by myself and don't have to worry about whether anyone else likes whatever music I'm listening too or whether it's too hot or cold or windy. Just me and the road with the windows down, the sunroof open, and the music up.

OK, maybe my dog can come too.

As opposed to the airlines and the auto industry! :cool:

Don't get me wrong, Amtrak needs to clean up its act and get rid of some useless routes. But let's not pretend that competing modes of transportation are self-sufficient. The ultimate government subsidy to the auto industry and everybody who owns a car is all the taxpayer money that's used for road construction and maintenance.

Here's an example of what's wrong with Amtrak. Let's say I want to visit the in-laws in Chicago. Philadelphia to Chicago roundtrip is $210 for Amtrak, $230 to fly. But that plane trip takes about 2 1/4 hours, while the Amtrak ride will take 18 1/2 hours to get there! "But Steve," you say, "that's not fair. You can go hop on the train tomorrow and pay $210. That air fare is a 21-day advance purchase." OK, fine, if I leave for Chicago tomorrow and return Monday, the same dates I picked for my train trip, I can do it for $506. That's more competitive in Amtrak's favor, but I suspect the majority of the people who are in a position where they absolutely have to buy a ticket now to leave tomorrow will choose to spend more money rather than deal with a 37-hour round trip.

That money comes from fuel taxes. That's fair.
I find my self traveling at night more often if I have to travel any distance. That cuts down on the traffic, the stereo sounds better and I can stop to pee most anywhere.

The airlines are hardly a better model for a good business. From the day the industry started to about a year ago (from which time I remember this statistic) they have made 3 billion dollars in profits. That is, including the 4 billion given outright to them by the US government almost two years ago, which for me tallies out in the red.

I've also heard that the government imposed some restrictions on Amtrak, such as forcing them to keep trains running on very unprofitable runs, without which they might be profitable. I wonder if both the airlines and the railroads would be profitable (or in better [or more realistic] shape) without government subsidies.

The railroads were built to move freight. Passengers was a sideline that was heavily subsidized long after it became unprofitable, in "the national interest"
Commercial aviation was established to carry the mail. When planes with pressurized cabins appeared, passengers became practical. Subsidies were small compared to the cost of the infrastructure and services like air traffic control, weather reporting and now Homeland Security. Again it's done in the name of "the national interest".

Take your pick.

The sunlight doesn't stop me.

I don't mind the sunlight but I personally tend to cause accidents when I haul it out.
By haul I mean pull the string.:D

[disgusting thought]
By "IT" do you mean a tampon?
[/disgusting thought]:p

Are you raggin on me?

He started it:rolleyes:

hehe :beer:


Hehe I get it... rag--ging

I try not to aim for anything under 80 mph

Minimum altitude, maximum speed.:thumb:

Just to add my 2 cents worth, Illinois has a max speed limit of 65mph, and i must say its much better than that 55, cars are better now and can handle speeds in corners better.

In europe yes the Autobahn is nice, and only 4 lanes...you can also get stopped for going to slow in the passing lane, you cannot just cruise in the left lane.