Why when in a highway the speed limit is for example 55 EVERYBODY goes up to the limit? I don't understand!!!

Ryan

It's no different here. And frankly, I wish the cops would start giving out tickets for anyone going more than 3-5 mph over the speed limit. I sure as hell would if I were a cop (with a big smile on my face).
Here in CA, if you drive the actual speed limit, people will tailgate you, flash lights, pass on the right(or double yellow) and otherwise make you seem like a slow poke schlock for abiding by the law.
It's almost like 45 speed limit means to drive 55 or 60, 55 speed limit means to drive 65-70, etc.

theomdude

Most people do drive above the speed limit, as you observe. Why? In spite of the truth of 1. below, everyone thinks he or she is the exception, capable of maintaining a high rate of speed safely, whatever the speed limit.

At the same time, they also believe (with some justification - see 1. below again) that the rest of us are unskilled morons who only got our drivers' license by bribing an examiner, and who need to be kept off the road. That being impractical, they accept the idea of speed limits to allow law enforcement officers to keep the rest of us driving at speeds closer to our skill level.

The real question is not "why do people exceed the speed limit," but "why do we continue to limit speeds on limited access highways ('freeways,' toll roads and 'turnpikes') to speeds lower than people actually drive?"

Speed limits are set by politicians in response to public perception that speed kills (thanks to heavy propaganda from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and self-appointed 'safety watchdogs' like Ralph Nader).

If speed (alone) did kill, there would be no live fighter pilots or astronauts. The former travel at speeds up to 30 times the national speed limit, while astronauts travel 1,000 times faster than the speed limit.

So there are several answers to my question.

1. It's true that there is an appallingly low level of driving skill in the general population. Drivers are taught the rules of the road and how to parallel park, but are given NO practical experience in emergency handling skills.
So a low speed limit, although it is ineffective at keeping traffic below the posted limit, fear of a citation does keep speed down somewhat, with the result that the casualty rate is lower in the inevitable accidents that result. (We cannot repeal Newton's laws.)

2. Speed limits are a compromise that gives the highway patrol the legal basis to cite the drivers who drive UNSAFELY at high speed. Generally, if traffic is moving at a speed above the speed limit, officers will not cite a vehicle that is 'keeping up with traffic.'
It is 'differential speed' that is dangerous, and the enforcers (if they are not just revenue collectors, as in some places) know this and enforce accordingly.

3. Politics. No politician would be re-elected if he or she appeared to be 'anti-safety,' and as I said, most of the voting population erroneously associates higher speed limits with lowered safety.

I hope this helps answer your question. Good luck and safe driving!

Bas A

It is probably because 55 mph feels so slow. It is somewhat discouraging to note that notwithstanding all of the safety upgrades, as well as technological upgrades, that make driving a car so much safer nowadays than it was 20-30 years ago, the speed limit has not changed on many of these roadways.
Besides, the main safety issue is dumb drivers, not fast drivers. This morning I drove into work on Route 80, and noticed three cars, side by side along three lanes, all doing the same speed.

cuttin_in_mcfly

Why would you want to go slower than the speed limit? Although it's called a "limit," in practice it is the posted speed.

MechBob

The speed limit is a compromise between safety and getting somewhere fast. It is not the upper limit in heavy traffic or bad weather.
.
If you are not comfortable doing the speed limit then you will have to change your driving habits.
.
Keep on eye in your rear view mirror and if there are more then two cars behind you, pull over and let them pass you. Do not drive on the shoulder of the road, pullover and stop.
In NJ and NY, you're supposed to do this by law and in addition, for speeds under 45mph, you have to put your 4-way flashers on.
Check your drivers manual or ask a cop.
.
Stay off limited access highways, especially the Jersey Turnpike! In fact, if you can't do the speed limit you will get pulled over.

Just me........

Everybody is in a rush in this state.

hannibal61577

it's not only in NJ, its everywhere. Half of the time if you do the speed limit, you get run off of the road. If people would learn to slow down, the highways would be safer and we as a country would consume much less fuel.

bmwdriver11

Because its extremely unsafe to be moving way slower than the speed limit, when all of the other cars on the same roadway are traveling at a much higher rate of speed. If someone is driving 35 in a 55, a car approaching at 55 mph behind them will be right up behind them very, very quickly- and if it happens faster than the driver expects, it could lead to an accident. Cars traveling too much under the speed limit are a major cause of accidents.

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