The Debate on Speed Limits: Reasons for Speeding and the Role of Law Enforcement

I drive the speed limit. In the right lane, I set my cruise control to it and let anyone faster pass on the left. I am not in a rush and arrive whenever I arrive.

City Driving vs Highway Driving

In town, I try to maintain the posted speed limit (PSL) or go 5 PSL but rarely see that much speed on the roads. My family often gets stuck in slow races to see who can drive the slowest (usually -10 to -15 PSL). The slowest wins, and there is always a winner. On the open road, I struggle to stick to the speed limit due to various factors including road conditions and weather. For example, during a long road trip, I admitted to my wife that I would drive at or around the speed limit, but seven minutes into the journey, I found myself at 30 PSL behind a 'rabbit' (someone driving ahead of me).

Speed Limits in Different Regions

The US speed limits are often too low, and many states have been gradually increasing them. Back in the 1970s, the speed limit was capped at 55 mph due to the oil crisis. Even after the crisis, many states did not raise their speed limits to reflect improvements in car safety and road conditions. It appears that authorities have found a new revenue stream through these limits.

Law Enforcement and its Tactics

Small towns with fewer than 1,000 residents often have full law enforcement staff, equipped with the latest vehicles and technology, funded by fines from out-of-town drivers who do not see speed limit signs that have fallen or are obstructed. For instance, there is a town nearby with only 760 residents, but they generate more revenue from tickets than my county with over 250,000 residents.

My daughter, who lives 130 miles away, shared a news article about speeders. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the largest number of tickets is in a county with only 50,000 residents and issued 301 tickets. The second-largest number is from an even smaller county with 16,000 residents. The third and fourth are in counties with 35,000 and 44,000 residents, respectively. It wasn't until the fifth most ticketed county that the population exceeded 650,000, and by the eighth position, the county had over 785,000 residents.

Conclusion

The nuances of adhering to posted speed limits are often influenced by a mix of practical driving considerations and the realities of law enforcement incentives. While I aim to follow PSL, the aforementioned scenarios highlight the complexities and challenges faced by drivers in different regions and situations.