Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
(Post 12061234)
Does it work out? For everyone? Really?
The ticket itself was $200. That's not "money" to me. Even less so to the majority of folks I meet in our hobby. It is, however, very real money to some single mom with several kids working two jobs and driving some 40 year old beater. The difference in impact in my life vs. hers is very real, and quite unjust.
It's a bad system. It really is. There should be a more just, more fair, more equitable way.
They want me to change my behavior. Nothing in this current system will ever entice me to do so. What I was doing was not unsafe in any way, shape, or form. I was on a motorcycle on a perfectly straight, flat stretch of open road with unobstructed visibility for a couple of miles. No driveways, no cross streets, way out in the country, with absolutely nothing around. The speed limit there is beyond ludicrous. Enforcement of it only serves to breed disrespect and disdain for the officers tasked with doing so, and for the system that supports them. The limits are set so low not as any sort of a safety measure, but purely because it's "easy money" for the county. Shameful.
Some states have what is known as an "average speed" or "prevailing speed" law. Under these laws, the speed limits are set to an "85%" rule. Speed limit signs are removed and traffic is monitored for some period of time. Remarkably, most of us prefer to drive safely, at a speed we are comfortable with on any given stretch of road. The theory is that 85% of us will always do so, driving at a speed at which we feel safe. That data is collected, and the limit set accordingly.
Not in Washington. We have had several "pilot projects" under which speed limits in the area under study were set in this manner. Traffic flow improved markedly, and the accident rates actually went down as the speed limits in each and every study area were increased. Some by as much as 15-20 mph.
But, alas, in the end the limits on these roads were ultimately reduced to their pre-study levels. Traffic returned to its pre-study gridlock, accident rates increased. In each and every case. It's frustrating. If we had realistic, reasonable speed limits on these roads, I would have little to complain about. But having our limits consistently 10, 15, 20 mph lower than similar roads in other states (or countries) is pretty tough to justify.
Unless, of course, all they really want is our money...
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