Texas introduces 85mph (136kph) speed limit

[LoBelly]

Up from the previous top speed of 80mph

Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation — which is overseen by the transportation commission — said the highway was designed and tested for high-speed travel. “Safety is our top priority,” Veronica Beyer, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement. “And tests have shown the designated speed is a safe one.”

from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/us...e-land.html?hp

where's the 'speed kills' hysteria - don't these people know

*sigh*

LB

[Dimis]

I'd argue that some of our country roads should have higher speed limits.

There is a reason that there are a disproportionate number of fatalities in the country... research shows it's typically fatigue induced.

100km/h is too slow to cover the large distances we have between towns and cities.

[Rog246]

i believe the only reason that state govts got rid of the old de-restricted zones was that they saw a way to tax motorists via a speeding fine!
With the old system you had to prove you were travelling safely over the statutory limit which i think was 50mph/80 k/hr. If you got booked for doing 80mph you went to court and pleaded you case. If there was no traffic on the road and it was 10pm and you weren't being erratic it was fine!

[HSVREDSLED]

Speed does not kill.

Speed differentiation kills. (Ie) Car travels at 80km/h...tree at 0km/h)

Likewise, Granny travelling at 80km/h in 110km/h zone changes lane in path of car doing 110km/h. Cars nudge, one car gets speered into rock wall doing 0km/h...speed differentiation again.

Until we can bridge the gap between the driving skills of drivers, and or improve roads out here allowing for true 'fast lanes' no speed increases will grace these shores Im afraid.

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by HSVREDSLED

Speed does not kill.

Speed differentiation kills. (Ie) Car travels at 80km/h...tree at 0km/h)

Likewise, Granny travelling at 80km/h in 110km/h zone changes lane in path of car doing 110km/h. Cars nudge, one car gets speered into rock wall doing 0km/h...speed differentiation again.

Until we can bridge the gap between the driving skills of drivers, and or improve roads out here allowing for true 'fast lanes' no speed increases will grace these shores Im afraid.

Very well stated.

[sideshow]

QLD drivers are the bloody worse in the country i recon

4 lane main motorway and idiots do 100 in the right lane in a 110 zone
and they will not move over until i bump em with my bumper hehehe

they have not been taught to keep left and coming from driving in sydney
for 20 years where everyone is in a rush its bloody annoying

[Rog246]

Mate, they got nuttin'on those from the national capital

with NO appologises at all to those citizens.
Rog

[Rob. Smith]

Newcastle syndrome....put your blinker on to merge and they all accelerate to block you out.
30 yrs ago it was a game I played whilst driving to tech...get in the slow lane then put the right blinker on. The best I got was 11 cars forced their way past. Last week I was driving down that same road and tried it again...I couldn't get back into the right lane. ha ha ha.

[392cobra]

I Can't Drive 55

[stephen low]

Having suffered British driving for almost two weeks now I would say that the Australian road system is a dream as are our drivers.

Of course we are only 26 odd mill compared to some 62 mill in the UK but they are loonies, as is their road system.

The GPS has been a dream and I'm really glad I bought it, but the roundabouts are a scarey encounter still, particularly those with more than 3 road connection choices and because the Brits tend not to use their indicators - hard to tell which way they are going.

But am learning that more than the second off ramp choice means right hand lane entry into the roundabout else lanes just disappear on you at the most inconvenient timing!!

And of course all this also doesn't account for their lovely spacious roads



I can attest that the cars above are in the gutters each side with no more place to go. No idea where we were as I was concentrating too hard on the road and cars!!

I think they should nuke the lot and add double the width to the new road system.

Cheers

Slo

[boxhead]

They are skinny streets in the towns, some of the C roads in Scotland highlands will really test you Slowy

[David Hodgson]

Originally Posted by Rog246

Mate, they got nuttin'on those from the national capital

with NO appologises at all to those citizens.
Rog

Rog, I've lived here for 51 years and I gotta agree with you. But the thing that amazes me is, that given our population is so transient, the majority of road users are originally from interstate.
I think it has something to do with the Public Service mentality. Most (i said most Ralph) of those people are a very special breed

[Dirty Harry]

Unless my math is wrong, 85 mph equals about 125 feet per second. Normal reaction time to recognize a hazard and move from the accelerator to the brake pedal is .75 seconds. During that time, you've traveled 94 feet.

Keep a sharp eye out and anticipate problems, guys.

[boxhead]

That are talking open peed limits in. The Territory again, after recent election.

[stephen low]

Not just in Scotland though Dave!

We experienced their roads the last time here so know what you mean.

However we were detoured off our path on Monday driving down to Portland somewhere in the boondocks and ended up on some roads with hedgerows three times the height of the car and a road width not much wider than the car itself.

Fortunately didn't meet anyone coming the other way elsesomeone was going to have to back up to a passing point cut into the hedges!

All good fun I guess.

[boxhead]

If you take note of the hedgerows, that are snapped like a lorry or bus,