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Academic_Guava_4190 t1_iukzn5n wrote

Do you think people would actually obey the speed limit if it were lowered? I’m pretty sure it’s only 50 on Rt 1N and people still go like 75 on that road for no reason.

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somegridplayer t1_iulviaj wrote

128 is a 55, everyone does 75.

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NativeMasshole t1_iulyi9n wrote

Same on Rt2. There's T intersections and stop lights, yet everyone treats it like a highway. People would revolt if you tried to increase their commute times.

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boulderdashcci t1_iun57pc wrote

Not our fault the staties are too busy sleeping or looking at their phones when parked to do anything about it

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RevengencerAlf t1_iundhne wrote

Them "doing anything about it" adds no value. Artificially low speed limits just create dangerous situations.

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DawctorDawgs t1_iul1u9b wrote

Hey guys!! This dude claims that Route 1 has a speed limit!

/s

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Fit-Anything8352 t1_iul03iu wrote

Well the easy and effective(but also a dick move) way to make people not speed is to just ramp up enforcement and hand out a lot of tickets. I mean at some point if you're going 15mph over the speed limit for no reason then maybe it's time to stop driving or face fines...

As a bike commuter and cyclist the things I see people doing on the road(because I have to pay attention to it) are insane sometimes. Turning out of parking lots while texting and not looking, nearly causing head-on collisions with incoming traffic because they couldnt bother to check for oncoming traffic before trying to pass, doing 20+mph over the speed limit on suburban roads, sitting straight in the middle of 4-way intersections because they can't figure out how blinking yellows work and causing a traffic jam, ...

Can we just start retesting people every 5 years or something?

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fireball_jones t1_ium476s wrote

Nah just put up speed cameras. It’s always been fucking ridiculous that someone in a car thinks they can just drive whatever speed they feel like, but it’s equally antiquated to have a human out there standing on the highway with a gun to enforce it.

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AlexeiMarie t1_iun2178 wrote

iirc speed cameras can increase fatalities by encouraging municipalities to reduce yellow light durations in order to increase revenue by making it harder to stop before the light turns red, increasing the chances of people running red lights (which means more ticketa which means $$$) and/or slamming on the brakes and getting rear-ended

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fireball_jones t1_iun43m4 wrote

You’re talking about red light cameras, I’m not.

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AlexeiMarie t1_iun486r wrote

Oh shit yeah I misread and lumped them together

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fireball_jones t1_iun4hsq wrote

I agree red light cameras are bad. Heck, red lights period are bad, which is why more intersections are switching to rotaries.

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GreatAndPowerfulNixy t1_iumy76a wrote

Speed cameras and red light cameras are not allowed per MA DOT, and it's better that way.

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fireball_jones t1_iun499i wrote

Hmm yeah I wonder who pushed for making speed cameras illegal. Who would benefit from making $200/ hour to take naps on the highway.

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Academic_Guava_4190 t1_iul3r9k wrote

I’m with you. I can’t even tell you all the stupid things I saw people doing just today.

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ButtBlock t1_iulmlx7 wrote

It would be so easy if it were uniformly enforced with time stamped photos and radar speed cameras. Instead the police treat spreading much like the lobster industry in Maine. Manage to maximize revenue. Don’t catch all the lobsters at once because they would be extinct. If they started 100% enforcement, revenue would quickly plummet.

Obviously biodiversity is good which limits this analogy. But speeding really is bad in some contexts. Speeding in residential or pedestrian areas really kills many many people every year. If they catch you going 45 in a 35 there should be a proportionate small fine, every time. Not 130 USD once in a blue moon or whatever but like 40-50 USD every single time.

But until there is uniform robust enforcement, Americans are going to keep speeding on residential areas with their big ass cars, and will keep killing or maiming tens of thousands of Americans each year.

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vegasdonuts t1_iumymvv wrote

Route 24 is 65 and most everyone is doing 95-100.

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RevengencerAlf t1_iund6zz wrote

Setting the highway speed limit to anything lower than the 85th percentile is an absolute farce. It never accomplishes anything but giving cops an excuse to fundraise for their paramilitary toys.

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ButtBlock t1_iunv0ks wrote

I agree with you about highway speed limits. I mean Jesus you could land a B52 on many stretches. But speeding in residential or pedestrian zones should be uniformly enforced. You going 40 in a 30 should lead to a consistent each and every time 50-60 USD fine. Because that’s the context where speeding is actually dangerous. Going 80-90 on a straightaway closed access road. Should be fine as long as your tires are rated for it. But speeding on residential backroads… not really safe.

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Bicworm t1_iun4qim wrote

"no reason" lmao. They're late for work, or drunk - I promise you that

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Academic_Guava_4190 t1_iuny9iz wrote

Ok maybe I should have said no GOOD reason. Running late for work is lame. Who wants to die on their way TO work?

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