Never speed in Virginia... - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

aklim · #46 01-20-2015, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

I think speed limits are set by realists. Pretty much everyone speeds some of the time. If i set a limit at 50, i have an average vehicle travel speed in the 60s. If i decide to bump it up to 65, now ill have a large percentage going 75, and so on.

Your co worker was lucky.

Doesn't matter who or what sets it. It is there and if you don't like it, gather enough popular support to change it. I mean, the legislative branch can certainly get "outraged" at the law their predecessors put in place if enough people are upset.

spdrun · #47 01-20-2015, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Doesn't matter who or what sets it. It is there and if you don't like it, gather enough popular support to change it. I mean, the legislative branch can certainly get "outraged" at the law their predecessors put in place if enough people are upset.

It's gradually happening -- Virginia went up from 65 to 70 on freeways last year.

This being said: you've said many times that most people aren't decent or intelligent. How come you're OK with the system that the moronic majority puts in place via election when you have a lot of contempt for the same people?

aklim · #48 01-20-2015, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

It's gradually happening -- Virginia went up from 65 to 70 on freeways last year.

This being said: you've said many times that most people aren't decent or intelligent. How come you're OK with the system that the moronic majority puts in place via election when you have a lot of contempt for the same people?

When it happens, go 70. If they raise the 80 number, go whatever you want till you get into a spot where you cannot afford to pay to play.

Because I cannot find a unicorn or a dictator for life who is wise and benevolent to rule? Because I don't believe in anarchy and think that what we have is better than that?

spdrun · #49 01-20-2015, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

I think speed limits are set by realists. Pretty much everyone speeds some of the time. If i set a limit at 50, i have an average vehicle travel speed in the 60s. If i decide to bump it up to 65, now ill have a large percentage going 75, and so on.

Your co worker was lucky.

Problem is that they're not really limits in the US. They're recommended speeds. Outside of a traffic jam or horrible weather, when was the last time you saw average traffic speed below the posted limit?

Ideal solution would be thus:
(1) Posted recommended speed set via traffic studies.
(2) Hard speed limit 10-20 mph over that limit
(3) Cameras set up to enforce (2)

No fines, just points and loss of license beyond a given number of tickets per year. That would be honest limit enforcement. All people exceeding the hard limit would be ticketed, but since tickets would only result in loss of license, there would be no monetary incentive for the state to generate more tickets than needed for safety.

It would also free police up to look for other things like drunks weaving around, cell phone texters, left-lane campers, and generally dangerous vehicles. Speed enforcement via camera is easy. Enforcing those other things in an automated manner is less easy, so that's where the human intervention should be focused.

JB3 · #50 01-20-2015, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Problem is that they're not really limits in the US. They're recommended speeds. Outside of a traffic jam or horrible weather, when was the last time you saw average traffic speed below the posted limit?

Ideal solution would be thus:
(1) Posted recommended speed set via traffic studies.
(2) Hard speed limit 10-20 mph over that limit
(3) Cameras set up to enforce (2)

No fines, just points and loss of license beyond a given number of tickets per year. That would be honest limit enforcement. All people exceeding the hard limit would be ticketed, but since tickets would only result in loss of license, there would be no monetary incentive for the state to generate more tickets than needed for safety.

It would also free police up to look for other things like drunks weaving around, cell phone texters, left-lane campers, and generally dangerous vehicles. Speed enforcement via camera is easy. Enforcing those other things in an automated manner is less easy, so that's where the human intervention should be focused.

for this scheme to work, you need national license standards. For instance, RI and other states do not operate on a points system like NY.

They make up for it by higher fines per offense typically.

Whats dishonest about pulling over a guy doing 93 in a 50? the laws are on the books, he chose to disregard them, and he suffered the consequences.

JB3 · #51 01-20-2015, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

I don't think the cop cared one way or the other. He didn't get the break he wanted by claiming he was a journalist or a friend of Obama so he wasn't happy and hinted that he might have gotten a harsh sentence because of his vocation. I mean, WGAS about your job? I got pulled over and didn't tell the cop my life story. He just tried the "I'm a journalist. Give me a pass." routine and it didn't work. Perhaps he should have tried the "Do you know who I am?" routine that the celebrities often try to pull. Kudos to the cop for not giving a damn.

Im talking about the Judge, not the cop. I think the judge made an example of him to make national news of the VA policy of enforcing speed limits strictly.
It could be anticipated that a journalist would write about it after serving his sentence. Might have been different if he was joe blow, the walmart greeter.

spdrun · #52 01-20-2015, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

for this scheme to work, you need national license standards. For instance, RI and other states do not operate on a points system like NY.

They make up for it by higher fines per offense typically.

Whats dishonest about pulling over a guy doing 93 in a 50? the laws are on the books, he chose to disregard them, and he suffered the consequences.

That's not specifically dishonest. What's dishonest is revenue from fines creating the incentive to post artificially low limits, and signs in less-visible places.

Skippy · #53 01-20-2015, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Problem is that they're not really limits in the US. They're recommended speeds. Outside of a traffic jam or horrible weather, when was the last time you saw average traffic speed below the posted limit?

Ideal solution would be thus:
(1) Posted recommended speed set via traffic studies.
(2) Hard speed limit 10-20 mph over that limit
(3) Cameras set up to enforce (2)

No fines, just points and loss of license beyond a given number of tickets per year. That would be honest limit enforcement. All people exceeding the hard limit would be ticketed, but since tickets would only result in loss of license, there would be no monetary incentive for the state to generate more tickets than needed for safety.

It would also free police up to look for other things like drunks weaving around, cell phone texters, left-lane campers, and generally dangerous vehicles. Speed enforcement via camera is easy. Enforcing those other things in an automated manner is less easy, so that's where the human intervention should be focused.

You solution would be an improvement over what we have as far as what goes on within city limits. I can think of several local roads signed 25 that would be 45 zones under your idea. However, I'm relatively happy with the situation of little or no enforcement in rural areas that I currently enjoy.

panZZer · #54 01-20-2015, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

There is a Beaver Dam in WI too: Home / Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

I went looking for where all the beavers were but didn't see any. Much like Morehead, KY. Sad to say, it didn't live up to it's name. Didn't get any more or less in the 2 years I was there than other places.

I too drove thru morehead, and saw the "curl up and dye" hair salon.

JB3 · #55 01-20-2015, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

That's not specifically dishonest. What's dishonest is revenue from fines creating the incentive to post artificially low limits, and signs in less-visible places.

well then thats a tough question, what constitutes an artifically low limit, and how is that decided? if 50 is an artificially low limit for you in your vette, whos to say its not an ideal limit for joe public in less than capable topaz?

Locally there is a sharpish curve on highway 95 that comes after miles of straightaway. The speed limit is 50 through the curve.

I have been through that curve literally thousands of times, and never have I ever done it at 50, always in the 65mph range, as most cars can handle it. However, 55 is about the max for the average loaded semi, and the signs make sense for that kind of traffic. even so, people are constantly crashing into the curve because they were speeding in the left lane which suddenly becomes the sharpest curve lane.

Almost an impossible task calling road speed limits dishonest because you can go faster. You can never win the argument that there was a dishonest motivation to do so.

aklim · #56 01-20-2015, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Problem is that they're not really limits in the US. They're recommended speeds. Outside of a traffic jam or horrible weather, when was the last time you saw average traffic speed below the posted limit?

Ideal solution would be thus:
(1) Posted recommended speed set via traffic studies.
(2) Hard speed limit 10-20 mph over that limit
(3) Cameras set up to enforce (2)

No fines, just points and loss of license beyond a given number of tickets per year. That would be honest limit enforcement. All people exceeding the hard limit would be ticketed, but since tickets would only result in loss of license, there would be no monetary incentive for the state to generate more tickets than needed for safety.

It would also free police up to look for other things like drunks weaving around, cell phone texters, left-lane campers, and generally dangerous vehicles. Speed enforcement via camera is easy. Enforcing those other things in an automated manner is less easy, so that's where the human intervention should be focused.

Every time people see a cop or soon after a sting. As long as the enforcement is not present or spotty, every time.

Why 10 to 20 over? The limit is the limit. Or maybe set the limit 20 under? What is the point?

I don't know how much real enticing the large areas really get. Maybe for a small poor County but it does cost money for a Court and enforcement.

No as easy as you think. Privacy is an issue with photos. Also think there might be something which you forgot. A lot of people get picked up on warrants at a traffic stop. Tim McVeigh IIRC and many others.

spdrun · #57 01-20-2015, 05:36 PM

Give you an example of where I used to live in NJ. There's a winding road through a populated area, speed limit 45. At the town line, it enters an unpopulated area (basically woods) and becomes dead straight, speed limit drops to 25. There was always a cop waiting at one of the turnouts.

Another example is the NJ Turnpike. Actual speed is close to 80 mph. Speed limit is 65. Straight, level road with separated cars-only lanes for most of its length.

aklim · #58 01-20-2015, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

Im talking about the Judge, not the cop. I think the judge made an example of him to make national news of the VA policy of enforcing speed limits strictly.
It could be anticipated that a journalist would write about it after serving his sentence. Might have been different if he was joe blow, the walmart greeter.

I'm not sure it would come up. I would not have anticipated that. I for one would not be bragging about how I was tossed in jail to bolster my street credits

aklim · #59 01-20-2015, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

That's not specifically dishonest. What's dishonest is revenue from fines creating the incentive to post artificially low limits, and signs in less-visible places.

Are the signs illegally placed and how often are we talking about? I haven't see many signs that are even close to that definition unless they were vandalism victims.

spdrun · #60 01-20-2015, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Why 10 to 20 over? The limit is the limit. Or maybe set the limit 20 under? What is the point?
...
No as easy as you think. Privacy is an issue with photos. Also think there might be something which you forgot. A lot of people get picked up on warrants at a traffic stop. Tim McVeigh IIRC and many others.

Limit would be a literal limit. Recommended speed would be a recommended speed. Same as white vs yellow signs now.

Privacy wouldn't be an issue since most people wouldn't exceed the faster limit and thus wouldn't be photographed.

Picking more people up on warrants isn't necessarily a good thing. Having basically unlimited excuse to search (after all, sticking exactly to the limit is suspicious too) goes against the spirit of the Constitution. The police should not have an excuse to go fishing in 95% of cars if they want to. I'm all for restriction of police power, not expansion. Besides, McVeigh was picked up for no license plate, something an observant traffic cop would still see, camera enforcement or not.