[USA] United States Interstate Highways

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by geogregor

Somehow Germans can handle high speed. Why Americans can't??
Speed limit 55-65 mph is way to low for modern roads and cars. It was good for cars without all this electronics like ABS and so on. In Europe limits are much higher and we don't have more accidents than USA. In most countries it is over 80mph (130kmh) and Germany don't have speed limit on motorways.
I don't speak about limits on local roads beacouse they are fine. On interstate should be 80.
70mph is in UK but everyone drive 80-90mph. If you do it cops won't bother you. They will stop you if you do more than 90. People slow down just in front of speed cameras.
So limit should be risen to let say 80 or 85 and enforced.

I drive well over the speed limit, even over 100 mph sometimes, but I will play devil's advocate here.

The reason that there are lower speed limits here compared to Germany, as you mentioned, is that American Interstates were built in a different way than German autobahns. Autobahns don't have curves that are as sharp or hills that are as steep as Interstates. Autobahns were built to allow for as much straight road and easy driving as possible. (Hitler also contended that the Autobahns could be used as emergency landing strips for planes.) It was not feasible to do this in the U.S., epsecially in heavily-developed areas like the Northeast. Engineers chose Interstates that weren't as straight or easy on the driver over clearing out even larger amounts of developed and undeveloped land for these Interstates.

[rick1016]

You drive over 100 mph???

[TexasBoi]

Originally Posted by Gaeus

Why does Dallas got more highway projects than any other in United States? .

NO they don't. There are so many highways in Dallas that need repair that they don't know where to begin. Most of Dallas transportation funds from the federal government is due to the light rail. Dallas gets as much funding like those other cities you named.

[rick1016]

Oh btw I agree with everything you said.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by FM 2258

It's out of order but I doubt it would cause any confusion or commotion. You even have interstates that cross each other and become "reversed" in order like Interstate 75 and 85.

Now why when the original interstate numbering system was devised they had to leave such a huge gap between 75 and 81 in th north is beyond me...

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I drive well over the speed limit, even over 100 mph sometimes, but I will play devil's advocate here.

The reason that there are lower speed limits here compared to Germany, as you mentioned, is that American Interstates were built in a different way than German autobahns. Autobahns don't have curves that are as sharp or hills that are as steep as Interstates. Autobahns were built to allow for as much straight road and easy driving as possible. (Hitler also contended that the Autobahns could be used as emergency landing strips for planes.) It was not feasible to do this in the U.S., epsecially in heavily-developed areas like the Northeast. Engineers chose Interstates that weren't as straight or easy on the driver over clearing out even larger amounts of developed and undeveloped land for these Interstates.

But how about interstate in let say Wyoming, Dakotas or anywhere on West?
They are much more straight than any German motorway. German motorways are technicaly not that fantastic. Some european countries with speed limits have better motorways (but this speed limit is 80 not 55mph). Germans just think that most people are not suicidal and drive safe speed.
Then you have wide median.
You can land Jumbo on some of interstates.
And even on east coast density od populaton is nowhere near of Germany.
I think it's just innertia and lack of courage that states don't try to rise speed limits to 80 or 90 mph.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by geogregor

But how about interstate in let say Wyoming, Dakotas or anywhere on West?
They are much more straight than any German motorway. German motorways are technicaly not that fantastic. Some european countries with speed limits have better motorways (but this speed limit is 80 not 55mph). Germans just think that most people are not suicidal and drive safe speed.
Then you have wide median.
You can land Jumbo on some of interstates.
And even on east coast density od populaton is nowhere near of Germany.
I think it's just innertia and lack of courage that states don't try to rise speed limits to 80 or 90 mph.

Speed limits are higher in rural areas; the speed limit is 80 mph in parts of Texas, 75 in many Western states, and 70 in many rural Southern areas. Still, Interstates were built with sharper curves, steeper grades, and more blind areas than German Autobahns, so (all other things the same,) more caution needs to be used on Interstates than on Autobahns.

[xXFallenXx]

the speed limit for one part of highway 395 is completely ridiculous. there is a stretch of the freeway that is COMPLETELY straight, absolutely no turns at all and flat for about 20 miles. the freeway is 4 lanes wide and the speed limit is 65 mph. WTF? wheres the logic in that?

[LtBk]

Originally Posted by xXFallenXx

the speed limit for one part of highway 395 is completely ridiculous. there is a stretch of the freeway that is COMPLETELY straight, absolutely no turns at all and flat for about 20 miles. the freeway is 4 lanes wide and the speed limit is 65 mph. WTF? wheres the logic in that?

Well, as long as we stuck with Anglo-Saxon mentality of "speed is bad" and over half of US drivers being shitty, it will remain low.

[xXFallenXx]

You wanna see bad drivers (or good depending on how you look at it)? go to china. damn they are crazy!

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by LtBk

Well, as long as we stuck with Anglo-Saxon mentality of "speed is bad" and over half of US drivers being shitty, it will remain low.

Funny, every Dutchmen who was in the US, and drove there, says the Americans are much more disciplined drivers than in Europe.

[LtBk]

Originally Posted by Chris1491

Funny, every Dutchmen who was in the US, and drove there, says the Americans are much more disciplined drivers than in Europe.

Define disciplined and which state did they go?

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by geogregor

Somehow Germans can handle high speed. Why Americans can't??
Speed limit 55-65 mph is way to low for modern roads and cars. It was good for cars without all this electronics like ABS and so on. In Europe limits are much higher and we don't have more accidents than USA. In most countries it is over 80mph (130kmh) and Germany don't have speed limit on motorways.
I don't speak about limits on local roads beacouse they are fine. On interstate should be 80.
70mph is in UK but everyone drive 80-90mph. If you do it cops won't bother you. They will stop you if you do more than 90. People slow down just in front of speed cameras.
So limit should be risen to let say 80 or 85 and enforced.

You'll be lucky to go 50 mph on a British motorway. They are perpetually congested at all hours of the day.

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by Paddington

You'll be lucky to go 50 mph on a British motorway. They are perpetually congested at all hours of the day.

Belive me, I drove 90mph even around London (M25). Also on M4, and M40.
Fortunatelly I didn't have to drive in rush hours

[geogregor]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Speed limits are higher in rural areas; the speed limit is 80 mph in parts of Texas, 75 in many Western states, and 70 in many rural Southern areas. Still, Interstates were built with sharper curves, steeper grades, and more blind areas than German Autobahns, so (all other things the same,) more caution needs to be used on Interstates than on Autobahns.

I disagree.
German motorways are not that straight. There is plenty of sharp curves and exits that requires slowing down to 40 mph before you can take them.
They are not that superior. Some of them which were rebuild in last 10 years are great but older not so so.
I15 from LA to Las Vegas is so damn straight, why don't they set speed limit there at 90mph?
It has more to do with mentality and politics than with construction of the roads.

[Billpa]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I drive well over the speed limit, even over 100 mph sometimes, but I will play devil's advocate here.

I'm not a "55 saves lives" guy, but I don't want ANYONE going 100+ around me. No offense, but if the prevailing speed is 70-80, doing 20 or 30 mph faster is not safe.

[ChrisZwolle]

Originally Posted by geogregor

It has more to do with mentality and politics than with construction of the roads.

That is a fact for almost every speed limit.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Billpa

I'm not a "55 saves lives" guy, but I don't want ANYONE going 100+ around me. No offense, but if the prevailing speed is 70-80, doing 20 or 30 mph faster is not safe.

I don't really go over 100 just because it's much more wear and tear on a car. I don't drive that fast in this area, since it's too busy, but when I have driven on rural Interstates I do it. For instance, I drove to Fort Lauderdale a couple times and went through the night; going 100 or 110 through the nothingness of South Carolina at 3 AM seems reasonable.

[jchernin]

^ rural stretches are def different.
if i were driving through s. carolina id prob drive over 100 too!!!!

i-5 in cali is (in)famous for being straight, empty and high-speed. ive seen many, many people going over 100, tho i myself dont ever really go above 85-90 - too much stress on the car and gas mileage starts going down.

[FM 2258]

Yeah, rural stretches are much different. Interstates don't need speed limits once you get out in the middle of no where. I've seen pictures of Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and Sacramento and it looks empty.



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