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Did National Speed Limits Make Sense?

Posted on: Monday, 12 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By ERIC J.S. TOWNSEND

It passed with little fanfare last week -- the 10th anniversary of the repeal of a national maximum speed limit.

States have been able to post whatever speed they deemed fit for a given stretch of highway since Dec. 8, 1995. Before then, speeds were restricted to no more than 65 mph in rural areas and 55 mph in urban locales.

Of course, thats the posted speed limit. Most drivers push the accelerator a little closer to the floorboard than they probably should, regardless of the law, and its this point that has me curious:

Do higher speed limits encourage people to drive even faster? Or have the higher limits merely brought the motoring public more in line with the law?

The Governors Highway Safety Association believes the the first scenario to be true: that motorists continue to follow the informal rule of riding anywhere from 5 to 10 mph faster than the posted limit.

Its not that the highway safety association is calling for reinstatement of the national speed limit. Instead, it wants states to take closer looks at all aspects of speed -- enforcement, public education and judicial results.

The point is that states need to set rational and appropriate speed limits, Barbara Harsha, executive director of the nonprofit association, said Friday. They need to go back and evaluate speed limits every five years on all types of roads.

Some of the numbers from an association press release this week dont really add up logically. For instance, the safety advocates say the number of speed-related deaths has remained constant over the past 10 years despite vehicle safety enhancements and additional seatbelt use.

Shouldnt the number of deaths have gone down given these advancements?

Um, no. Not when you have hundreds of thousands of additional cars on the road. Those safety measures are certainly reducing accidents -- on a per capita basis.

Does speed kill? Sure it does. Look no further than the five young adults killed late last month in speed-related wrecks right here in Guilford County.

But both drivers were traveling well over the posted speed limit, by more than the 5-10 mph cushion. And the speed limits on the roads where they died seemed reasonable enough.

I say we should raise our glasses (so long as we have a designated driver) this holiday season to our ability to drive faster on the nations highways (And lets face it, I dont think theres a two-lane country road anywhere with a 70 mph limit).

Just remember to buckle up; dont drink and drive; and remind the police officers who pull you over that you pay their salaries.

Still no driveway fix

Back in June, Fast Forward answered a question from a reader who wanted to know why the Shoneys restaurant on South Regional Road in Greensboro had a sudden drop-off from the parking lot onto the main highway.

Sudden turned out to be a 4-inch fall -- quite a jolt even if youre in a slow-moving car.

The drop was from a mistake workers made when installing a new driveway apron during a road project for the state. Officials at the time said the boo-boo would be mended soon.

Six months later ... well, lets just say theres a reason why I bring this up.

Im disappointed we got to this point in the year where conditions wont be suitable to make the repair, said Lane Hall of the state transportation department. This should have been handled months ago.

In simple terms: The Department of Transportation hires an engineering firm to oversee the entire project. In this case, they brought on Triad Design Group, a firm with a solid track record in the area.

Triad Design takes over responsibility for the road work. It hires subcontractors to help.

If a subcontractor goofs, it reports to Triad Design, which in turn answers to the state. It remains unclear what the Shoneys holdup may be -- but according to Hall, an Alamance County paving company appears to be linked to this ongoing headache.

Youd think a deadline would have already been set, said Bob Ketay of High Point, the reader who contacted Fast Forward in June when told of the project status.

What options does the state have to get this road fixed?

Insurance. Or, in construction terms, a bond.

To get the contract for the road, Triad Design had to hire a bonding company.

The bonding company promises to pay the Department of Transportation the cost of the road project (plus 20 percent) if work does not meet specifications, Hall said. Or it could choose to do the work itself, sidestepping Triad Design.

Collecting on the bond hurts Triad Designs bond rating, and Hall isnt eager to do that.

Officials with Triad Design couldnt be reached for comment.

I need to follow up and write another letter and get stronger, Hall said. Disappointed is a good word. Wed like to see the project completed and move on to another one.

Hall hasnt set a deadline for contacting the bonding company. He said that might be something hell include in his letter.

In that spirit, Fast Forward wants to help the DOT get its roadwork done and relieve Shoneys customers of unnecessary shock wear. Starting today and running until the driveway apron is fixed, well keep a brief weekly update on the work.

Well keep you posted.

Fast Forward runs every Monday. Got questions you want answered or need to vent about transportation issues? Send em our way at fastforward@news-record.com. Be sure to leave your name and a way for us to get in touch with you.

Source: Greensboro News Record

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