Questions tagged [driving-speed]
13 questions
48
votes
2 answers
Are speedometers designed to read high?
Via word-of-mouth, I have twice heard claims that speedometers are deliberately designed to read high, so manufacturers would not be subject to litigation for speeding.
When I first heard this claim, I thought it was simply an excuse to justify…
Douglas S. Stones
- 940
- 9
- 17
42
votes
4 answers
Is driving the speed limit on a highway safer?
I'd have thought this would have been asked already but I didn't see it. Is driving the speed limit safer on a highway? By "highway" I mean high-traffic areas, such as 4-lane divided thoroughfares.
Having commuted for some time, I've noticed that…
Brian M. Hunt
- 17,999
- 13
- 99
- 176
26
votes
2 answers
Does the establishment of a legal upper speed limit on highways lead to a reduction in traffic deaths and accidents?
The conventional wisdom is that established speed limits lead to an increase in safety.
Speed limits are usually set to attempt to cap road traffic speed; there are several reasons for wanting to do this. It is often done with an intention to…
Mauser
- 674
- 4
- 10
24
votes
1 answer
Does decreasing an urban speed limit from 50 km/h to 30 km/h increase air pollution?
Starting on 2021-08-30, the driving speed limit within the Paris municipality was reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. There is a debate on the impact that this will have on air pollution.
The Paris municipality justifies lists the benefits as better…
Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
- 3,182
- 1
- 26
- 28
22
votes
1 answer
Do lower speed limits reduce gasoline usage?
There are three parts to this question:
Does speed have an effect on miles-per-gallon? Is there a more accurate causal effect than speed that would also cause a connection at varying speeds? (perhaps RPM; weather; tire pressure)
Are speed limits…
MrHen
- 6,113
- 37
- 59
17
votes
2 answers
Do speed bumps cause more deaths than they save?
After a few speeding incidents in a residential neighborhood, some residents will clamor for speed bumps.
In case your municipality does not have one, here is a picture of a speed bump (also AE sleeping policeman, BE road hump, road bump):
A…
rajah9
- 1,392
- 12
- 15
16
votes
3 answers
Does lowering speed limits by 10 km/h have any impact on air pollution?
Europe has been under exceptional sunlight for the past ten days, cf. Eumetsat's picture. According to French media, this prevents smog from escaping major hubs. In an attempt to reduce this air pollution, some cities have lowered their speed…
ChrisR
- 1,393
- 2
- 13
- 28
14
votes
0 answers
Did unrestricted speed limits lead to fewer deaths in the Northern Territory of Australia?
Drive reports that a section of highway in the Northern Territory has has been switched back and forth between no speed limit, and 130 km/h speed limits over the past decade or so, with some dispute between the politicians about which is safer.
(It…
Oddthinking
- 140,378
- 46
- 548
- 638
13
votes
3 answers
Will increased speed limits on motorways (or highways) cause significant harm?
The UK government has recently started a consultation on increasing the speed limits on motorways (roughly the equivalent of highways in the USA) in England.
So it seems appropriate to pose the question about whether this is a good idea. The early…
matt_black
- 56,186
- 16
- 175
- 373
11
votes
1 answer
Is it better to cross rough railroad tracks very slowly or at normal/higher speeds?
When encountering the average bumpy railroad crosssing such as the one pictured above, does slowing down almost to the point of stopping (as you would for a speed bump) produce less stress on the vehicle than simply continuing over the crossing at…
Monkey Tuesday
- 24,456
- 19
- 109
- 136
8
votes
1 answer
Did the Paul Walker crash happen at ~45 mph speed?
Heavy.com report that the car crash that killed actor Paul Walker was at about 40-45 miles per hour (64-72 km/h). They cite an NBCNews tweet:
Update: Paul Walker was not drag racing at time of crash, sources say; car was going 40 – 45 m.p.h. around…
belieber2004
- 81
- 2
6
votes
1 answer
Does the "Double Demerit Point" scheme in parts of Australia reduce serious car accidents?
In Australia, drivers earn "demerit points" for committing driving offenses. Being awarded more than a certain number of demerit points in a given period (typically 12 in any 3 year period) results in license suspension.
New South Wales, Western…
Oddthinking
- 140,378
- 46
- 548
- 638
1
vote
0 answers
Does speeding increase the risk of accident?
The article, studies show higher speed limits do not increase accidents
, claims that increased speeding does not increase your chance of falling into an accident.
However, another article Speed and accident risk
articulate the exact opposite:
A…
Himarm
- 4,297
- 5
- 23
- 44