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From: piety@hplabsb.UUCP (Bob Piety)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: 65 MPH?
Message-ID: <3287@hplabsb.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 11:16:47 EST
Article-I.D.: hplabsb.3287
Posted: Wed Feb 19 11:16:47 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Feb-86 04:28:17 EST
References: <152@ttidcc.UUCP> <274@hropus.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 47

> > The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans (California Department of
> > Transportation) recommended ... that the 55-mph speed limit be boosted
> > to 65 mph along hundreds of miles of the state freeway system outside
> > metropolitan areas.
> > 
> 
> Well, now, if the speed limit were to increase to 65 MPH, then people would
> go between 70 and 75 MPH.  Then what?  I suppose someone would suggest
> upping the speed limit to 75!
> 
> I'm not trying to say I don't occasionally speed; we all do once in a
> while.  But just because people don't like it doesn't mean the law should
> be changed.  After all, the original purpose of 55 was to save energy.



Many people don't realize that California used to have 65 & 70 MPH speed
limits in the 60's.  Nevada had NO SPEED LIMITS and one would only get a
ticket if he were blatantly unsafe, but would not be bothered driving 80 on
an isolated stretch in the desert.


> But just because people don't like it doesn't mean the law should
> be changed.  After all, the original purpose of 55 was to save energy.

PEOPLE appoint legislators to create laws to govern society-- if an unpopular
law gets passed, PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE IT CHANGED by petitions, letters to
officials, and voting!

Most vehicles today get better mileage at 70 or 80 than most 60's vehicles 
got at any speed.

A point that many posters to this issue forget, is that there are many places
where a speed limit is arbitrarily or unfairly set.  Traffic engineering
studies often show that a stretch of roadway is safe for X mph, while the
limit is set to some figure substantially lower.  Why?  Sometimes in error,
and other times for creating a speed-trap.  Challenging the point, rather
than behaving as a sheep and blindly accepting all laws, is ONE way to change
such laws, albeit not the best way.

It would be interesting to watch some of the sheep on this net encounter a
15 MPH sign on a straight stretch of freeway outside of Salt Lake City.  8^)


Send your flames to your local Highway Patrol Office!

Bob