I saw this talk live but was disappointed the app is $10 to give it a shot. Seems a little steep.
You have enough info to build your own, then share it with us for free!
Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
41–50 of 163 posts
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. On many roads, including freeways, the average speed of traffic is higher than the speed limit. Driving the speed limit on these freeways is dangerous. Additionally, many speedometers read slightly higher than the actual speed. Driving the exact speed limit on many roads as shown by your speedometer means you are actually driving quite slow. Repecting the spe…
> Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. ...the only correct response to which is to contact the state government and complain while continuing to respect the law. Breaking the law while remaining silent is diametrically opposed to the democratic system that the US, at least, aspires to. > need to be ...oh, and vehicle inefficiency increases superlinearly with speed[1]. Until the majority of the vehicl…
> ...the only correct response to which is to contact the state government and complain while continuing to respect the law. Breaking the law while remaining silent is diametrically opposed to the democratic system
No, this would take more hours than there are in a decade.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. On many roads, including freeways, the average speed of traffic is higher than the speed limit. Driving the speed limit on these freeways is dangerous. Additionally, many speedometers read slightly higher than the actual speed. Driving the exact speed limit on many roads as shown by your speedometer means you are actually driving quite slow. Repecting the spe…
> Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. Sounds like you are a qualified expert and know more about road design, traffic flow and pedestrian safety than those doing the job now. Clearly you need to apply for a position so you can right these so obvious wrongs. Please, don’t pretend you can do the job better than qualified experts
The qualified experts aren't the same people who set the limits. It's very common for a low speed limit to be "backed" by a professional report recommending a significantly higher limit.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually not accepting the given speed limit is a form of voting against said speed limit (especially when done en masse). Yes, it is not formal, but it is voting nonetheless. If the system was really democratic and not tyrannical then it would take it into account and would not resort to more control and punishment.
I guess I’ve always viewed it from the standpoint of, at what speed are crashes rarer and most survivable (do those even coincide?) I think a lot of people really overestimate the difference highway speed makes in their overall transit time. If everyone going 55 led to far fewer fatalities, better fuel economy, and less delays because of accidents, I’d imagine we’d do it already.
> better fuel economy
that is, btw, the history of why we have a 55 speed limit. In 1973 there was a gas crisis, so in 1974 President Nixon drafted the National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL), ostensibly to conserve gasoline.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apart from the occasional overtaking which you might need the extra speed, the odds you get a ticket from a hidden camera are very low if you just respect the speed limits. Or am I missing some point?
I used to think this before I moved to the Eastern seabord of the US. Many freeways have the speed limits randomly oscillate to values ranging from 50 to 75 with the flow of traffic pretending the speed limit is always 65. There are definitely speed traps set up in many unexpected 55 zones which I only know to slow down at from familiarity.
In western Virginia they sit at the bottom of hills and give tickets to out of state plates that go over the limit by any amount.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#46tldr; cop equipment uses BLE and you can detect this at a distance. I always wondered if there was a particular RF signature to LE vehicles(say, the radiated IF from their radios). This seems more reliable and easier to setup.
24.125 ghz
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#47I always wanted something to watch where their unmarked cars are. Speed traps are the worst.
I'd argue speeding is even worse, but to each their own.
Unexpectedly changing speeds seems riskier to me. I’d much rather be near somebody who was happily cruising along at 10-15 over, than somebody who just see a cop and might decide to switch lanes or slow down erratically in an attempt to hide.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#48Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. On many roads, including freeways, the average speed of traffic is higher than the speed limit. Driving the speed limit on these freeways is dangerous. Additionally, many speedometers read slightly higher than the actual speed. Driving the exact speed limit on many roads as shown by your speedometer means you are actually driving quite slow. Repecting the spe…
> Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. Sounds like you are a qualified expert and know more about road design, traffic flow and pedestrian safety than those doing the job now. Clearly you need to apply for a position so you can right these so obvious wrongs. Please, don’t pretend you can do the job better than qualified experts
What experts?
Majority of speed limits are in residential areas set up by the neighbour who complains, as the poster above just proudly did [1]. So the speed starts at 50kph set up by experts when the suburb is created, and 20 years later a random subset of streets is down to 20kph, because somebody somewhere lived there and was bored enough with their life to pester the city hall.
And while that may sound cynical and hostile, it is literally what happened in my last 2 neighbourhoods. There was no expertise, no statistics, no evaluation. Just complaints and no political will to ever refuse or re-examine.
On hwys in my area, experts and studies have repeatedly over years suggested increases are feasible. But it keeps getting delayed. Here's the reality - those who want to go faster will silently go faster. Those who want to go slower will very loudly insist that everybody goes slower. And bureaucratd will be bureaucrats and take the low risk route.
Re: Snoop unto them as they snoop unto you
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. On many roads, including freeways, the average speed of traffic is higher than the speed limit. Driving the speed limit on these freeways is dangerous. Additionally, many speedometers read slightly higher than the actual speed. Driving the exact speed limit on many roads as shown by your speedometer means you are actually driving quite slow. Repecting the spe…
> Many speed limits are set lower than they need to be. ...the only correct response to which is to contact the state government and complain while continuing to respect the law. Breaking the law while remaining silent is diametrically opposed to the democratic system that the US, at least, aspires to. > need to be ...oh, and vehicle inefficiency increases superlinearly with speed[1]. Until the majority of the vehicl…
Have you actually contacted a state government and seen a response that aligned with what you consider to be moral? I believe this may be a fairy tale that politicians tell their children, corporations tell their politicians, and the rest of us tell ourselves to feel like we matter.
My understanding of basic physics tells me it's good for my health to match the flow of traffic, regardless of the signage. I haven't found that government makes similar decisions surrounding my health, or yours.
Ymmv.