November 8, 200816 yr Plain Dealer review finds Inner Belt Bridge problems worried ODOT for months http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/11/plain_dealer_review_finds_odot.html Suddenly, they were closed -- two Inner Belt Bridge lanes shut down midday Sept. 30. Then, the following day, two more lanes were shut. Commuters were caught by surprise. But the Ohio Department of Transportation shouldn't have been. ODOT called the lane closings precautionary because recent inspections showed steel chords deteriorating faster than anyone anticipated. More at above link:
November 10, 200816 yr http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081110/NEWS16/811100332/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published November 10, 2008 13-mile section of new U.S. 24 open to traffic By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER NAPOLEON - The first long section of four-lane U.S. 24 to be built as part of the so-called Fort to Port Highway is open, and reconstruction and widening of the Defiance bypass are nearing completion. Except for intermittent lane closings needed for shoulder work, four lanes are now open between Defiance and Napoleon, a 13-mile stretch where the Ohio Department of Transportation bought enough right-of-way during the 1960s to accommodate four lanes but only built two at the time. The $49.5 million project, begun last year and built by Miller Brothers Construction of Archbold, is essentially complete, although state officials say it won't be formally done until spring. Taking longer but also nearly complete is widening of the two-lane portion of the U.S. 24 Defiance bypass and rehabilitating the four-lane section. Today, eastbound traffic will be shifted back onto what was the original roadway in the two-lane section, while westbound traffic will remain on the new roadway, said Rhonda Pees, a spokesman at ODOT's district office in Lima. Westbound traffic will be restricted to one lane until late this month during final paving, she said. West of Defiance and east of Napoleon, the 77-mile highway between Waterville and the Indiana border near Fort Wayne will use new routes, and the 23-mile stretch west of Defiance is on schedule for completion next year, Ms. Pees said. "That's cooking quite nicely," the spokesman said. "There's a lot of pavement down." State Rt. 49, closed south of Antwerp at its future interchange with the new road since June 11, should reopen by month's end, Ms. Pees added. The Napoleon-Waterville section, by contrast, is still in its early stages, with Miller Brothers starting work on the westernmost five miles in June under a $48 million contract. State contracts for two other phases farther east are to be awarded next year, and the Napoleon-Waterville roadway is scheduled to open in 2011. The Indiana Department of Transportation expects to start building its 11-mile section of U.S. 24, linking the Ohio project with I-469 near Fort Wayne, later this fall.
November 12, 200816 yr Officials discuss impact of bridge closings By Paul Giannamore, Herald-Star, September 27, 2008 STEUBENVILLE - Traffic at state Route 7 and University Boulevard gets jammed in the afternoons now, and it will only become closer to gridlock with the planned closure of the Fort Steuben Bridge in 2009. Real gridlock - traffic backing up on the Veterans Memorial Bridge heading onto the downtown Steubenville westbound off-ramp as well as down the northbound lanes of Route 7 as far back as Franklin Avenue is projected to begin if the Market Street Bridge closes before a new bridge is built between Brilliant and Wellsburg.
November 22, 200816 yr New bridge named ‘Medal of Honor Bridge’ By Beth Sergent, Daily Sentinel, November 12, 2008 POMEROY — As construction winds down on the replacement for the old Pomeroy Mason Bridge, the signs have been ordered for the new one which will be called the “Medal of Honor Bridge,” according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. As previously reported, the Ohio approach has been named after the late Gen. James Hartinger and the West Virginia approach will be named after the late Staff Sgt. Jimmy G. Stewart. After completed, the bridge will belong to the state of West Virginia.
December 6, 200816 yr Corridor financing gains focus By PAUL GIANNAMORE, Business editor WEST LAFAYETTE - With the state budget strained and the Ohio Department of Transportation short of cash to consider planning for new highways, the Columbus to Pittsburgh Corridor Committee will use its next meeting to discuss innovative financing. Among the proposals that could be discussed is turning to the Ohio Turnpike Commission for help financing completion of the four-lane road network stretching across seven counties, including Harrison and Jefferson, to connect via U.S. Route 22 to Pittsburgh. The committee met Friday at the Ravens Glen Winery on U.S. Route 36 near Coshocton and received an update on how ODOT will be ranking future highway projects for use of federal and state funds. Traffic no longer will be the sole driving force. Full article at http://www.hsconnect.com/page/content.detail/id/512805.html?nav=5010
January 1, 200916 yr 'Bridge of Honor' opens in Pomeroy By Cynthia Soto, Herald-Dispatch, December 30, 2008 POMEROY, Ohio -- A new bridge over the Ohio River linking Pomeroy, Ohio, and Mason, W. Va., opened Tuesday amid a ceremony paying homage to distinguished military veterans and hopes that the structure will boost economic development in that region. The opening was preceded by a ribbon-cutting ceremony that formally dedicated the new Pomeroy-Mason Bridge as the "Bridge of Honor" in memory of three local veterans. They are Staff Sgt. Jimmie G. Stewart of Mason and Gen. James V. Hartinger and Cpl. Edward A. Bennett, both of Middleport. Stewart and Bennett were Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and Hartinger was a four-star general.
January 13, 200916 yr Ft. Steuben Bridge Shut Down For Safety Concerns WTOV9.com, OH, Jan 8, 2009 Ohio Department of Transportation crews made the call to shut down the Ft. Steuben Bridge Thursday after finding concrete slabs in the bridge deck shifting. Traffic is banned from the bridge until an inspection can tell them what caused it, how severe it is, and what can be done about it.
January 13, 200916 yr Bridge to Remain Closed for Now By Dave Gossett, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register, January 10, 2009 The Fort Steuben Bridge will remain closed until at least early next week while engineers analyze photographs and videotape taken Thursday of the structure. Ohio Department of Transportation District 11 officials closed the 80-year-old bridge Thursday after "a deflection, or undesirable movement under traffic, was discovered during a routine maintenance operation," according to Becky McCarty, public information officer for ODOT District 11.
February 2, 200916 yr Not really about the brine, but the toins of road salt that are spread each winter and the environmental impacts... Melting snow adds pollutants to waterways Little study done on effects of salt used to clear roads Monday, February 2, 2009 3:07 AM By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH When all this snow and ice melts, our creeks, streams and rivers will absorb a lot more than water. "You have all the junk, the oil and the grease and the chemicals that are left on roads by cars," said Brandi Whetstone, conservation program coordinator for the Sierra Club's Ohio chapter. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/02/snowmelt.ART_ART_02-02-09_B3_DTCP05P.html?sid=101
February 2, 200916 yr The brine used for ice removal is ~ 32% calcium chloride, so that adds a considerable amount of salt to the roads. I had to laugh the other day as I watched the Cincinnati news talk about the "white death". The talking head standing out in the freezing rain and snow said: "In addition to salt, they are also using other chemicals like calcium chloride"!!!!!
February 7, 200916 yr Committee discusses toll road to Pittsburgh By KENT MALLETT • Advocate Reporter • February 6, 2009 HANOVER — The Columbus-Pittsburgh Corridor Committee directed its members Friday to begin discussions about creating a toll road between the two major cities. The committee, which represents the seven Ohio counties along the route, asked its members to talk with county commissioners, mayors and other governmental leaders about potential support for such a funding plan. The goal of the committee, which met Friday at Longaberger Golf Club, near Hanover, is to complete a 160-mile, four-lane, limited-access highway connecting the two major Midwest cities. Luther Liggett, of Bricker & Eckler law firm, representing the Ohio Engineers Association, presented the toll road idea to the committee, which took no official action other than to discuss the plan. Full article at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20090206/UPDATES01/90206019
April 17, 200916 yr Stay of execution: Weather delays bridge demolition By Beth Sergen, Pomeroy Sentinel, April 15, 2009 POMEROY — This week’s rainy weather has delayed the demolition of the center span of the old Pomeroy Mason Bridge, giving the obsolete structure one more day above the Ohio River. Originally the detonation of explosives set to bring down the center span was set for between 8 and 9 a.m. today but now, due to weather, that time has been changed to sometime between 8 and 9 a.m. Thursday, according to David Rose, Ohio Department of Transportation District 10 spokesperson.
May 19, 200916 yr Ohio bill raises speed limit to 70 mph By Matt Leingang • The Associated Press • May 19, 2009 COLUMBUS - Despite warnings from safety advocates, a group of lawmakers wants Ohio to join 32 other states that have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on certain roads. State Rep. Dan Dodd, a Democrat from Hebron says Ohio should allow drivers to catch up with the rest of the country. He's a main sponsor of a bill getting its first hearing before a House transportation committee on Wednesday.
May 19, 200916 yr State Rep. Dan Dodd, a Democrat from Hebron says Ohio should allow drivers to catch up with the rest of the country. How does raising the speed limit allow us to "catch up"? Are truckers going out of their way to bypass Ohio due to our slower speed limits?
May 19, 200916 yr Seems kind of bassackwards, considering that higher speeds contribute to lower mpg and more emissions. Even with my small, economical Focus I notice a measurable difference in gas mileage between 55-60mph and 70mph-plus. On the occasions when I can't avoid the Interstates, the most flagrant speeders I see are often driving large SUVs and pickups, and those are even more sensitive to the effect of speed on mileage. Dodd has his head stuck in the sand ... or someplace.
May 19, 200916 yr An update to the earlier article posting --------------------------------- Ohio bill raises speed limit to 70 mph COLUMBUS - Despite warnings from safety advocates, a group of lawmakers wants Ohio to join 32 other states that have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on certain roads. The move comes as gasoline prices remain about $2.30 per gallon, much lower than a year ago, and as a new state law will allow semitrailer drivers to go 65 mph on Ohio’s interstate system instead of 55 mph beginning July 1.
May 19, 200916 yr I completely support 70 as the limit, but I would drop the reckless driving to 10 over instead of 15 as it is now. Most Ohio expressways move at 72-74 as is. As noted, Michigan, KY, and Indiana, WV all are 70mph states these days.
May 20, 200916 yr In my experience, the speed limit change doesn't actually affect the speed of traffic much... As posted above, generally the traffic moves at a little over 70 anyways. Everyone just feels better about driving 70 when they're suppoed to be doing it :-)
May 20, 200916 yr ^I agree with that. I know that I drive at whatever speed I feel comfortable driving. For example, when I would drive my dads SUV on the highway I would usually drive about 75 or 80, but when I got behind the wheel of my honda civic I would drive about 70 because I didn't feel as comfortable driving that fast in the little civic.
May 20, 200916 yr ^I disagree. On most road trips I've been on, traffic has been going about 5-10mph over the limit (including 80mph interstates in TX). Pushing the limit up to 70 would just get people to do 75-80 instead of 70-75. I would rather see them keep the limit at 65 but forbid police departments from pulling you over for less than 5mph unless they see you commit some other violation. Sortof like they can't pull you over for not wearing a seatbelt unless you've committed some other infraction. Of course, that this would shut down Linndale, is a major bonus.
May 20, 200916 yr I disagree with you Grumpy. When I am on a long-distance trip, I have noticed than I (and usually many others) will drive what feels like a safe speed. For instance, on I-77, the speed limit is 70 for a while through the mountains. I don't feel safe even hitting 70 on some parts, but around Ohio when I'm on a 65 mph stretch of straight, flat highway, I'll usually be going around 75 mph. In Georgia, where it's even straighter and flatter and I-75 is three lanes most of the way, the flow of traffic is near 85 mph. I think that some people drive right around the speed limit (or up to 5 mph) and others just drive what feels comfortable. The speed limit should be brought closer to the flow of traffic.
May 20, 200916 yr The 85th percentile rule is probably a good measure. I do wonder if over time we could move toward dynamic speed limits. Cheap LCD's with a few sensors could adjust the speed limit to keep traffic roughly at the proper speed. I am thinking mostly of reducing the stated limit during rain, snow or ice.
May 20, 200916 yr Due to the sensitivity and accuracy of the equipment, it would be hard to lower the reckless driving charge down to 10mph. Its not that they think its ok to drive 10 mph over the limit, its just hard to prove that a reading of 10 mph isn't really only 5 or 6. When you get a reading of ~ 15, an officer can be fairly sure the driver was going well over the limit.
May 20, 200916 yr Most of the folks that "feel comfortable at 70" are just going to "feel comfortable" at 75-80 now because there's those folks that just want to go as fast as possible while limiting their average risk of getting a ticket. Really the first group of people are just "comfortable" going with the flow of traffic and will follow the herd to even higher speed. Also, of course this change will lead to more injuries/deaths, but we already stepped into the car in the first place.
May 20, 200916 yr ^Not so. West Virginia, about a seven years ago, raised their speed limits on interstates to 70 MPH, and on four-lane highways to 65 MPH. Two-lane routes and substandard four-lane highways remained at maximum, 55 MPH. Want to know what happened? Accidents and fatalities have declined for interstates and four-lane highways, but increased only slightly for two-lane routes, all the while carrying an increasing number of cars. The higher speed limits allowed for traffic to flow, without the risk of a random taxation, to flow at the 85th Percentile. The AAA -- whose "studies" are funded by major insurance corporations, continues to refute official WVDOH numbers on this, but the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a non-partisan, independent organization has come to the conclusion that raising speed limits on well engineered roadways to the 85th percentile does not raise accident or fatality rates. The IIHS, or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, can all be ignored. Even Kentucky, who raised their speed limits on interstates to 70 MPH, can tell you that accidents have declined on interstates even as traffic counts have continued to increase. I've known quite a few engineers at ODOT for years, and they continue to tell me that rural interstate highways are designed for a 75 MPH design speed. Why then are they signed ten miles lower, if not for random taxation? Why are they designed so well that the 85th percentile on rural interstates is 71 MPH and not 65 MPH? Give the motoring traffic what they want: a safe, free-flowing interstate highway that travels at an optimum speed. Large, varying speeds cause more accidents than raising the speed limit, according to the TTI and ODOT. That's one reason why the legislature, at the pressure of ODOT, is eliminating the split speed limits for trucks and cars. It did nothing for safety, and was all about the revenue. If we allowed politics and insurance agencies out of transportation, we can actually design and sign highways according to their engineered standard.
May 20, 200916 yr ^Bravo. Excellent explanation. Motorists drive what they find to be clear an reasonable on a roadway regardless of the speed. I can tell you that just because a sign is posted it does not mean that people actually follow that speed limit. I bet most of you have driven over the speed limit because you "felt" that it was safe to do so? Why does it feel safe to do so? It's often because the roads are designed for that speed. High Speeds can cause accidents, especially during wet weather, but most sensible people know to slow down in wet weather. Those who don't learn. A bigger speed related issue, especially on interstates, is variability of speeds. A high variability of speed can cause rear end accidents and run off the road accidents, the latter of which is one of the types of accidents with the highest frequency. Other things can cause accidents too, such as long straight sections lulling people into a dazed state. It might have happened to you, where you're driving and you suddenly realize that you don't remember the last few minutes of driving. Instances like that can lead to some pretty wild accidents. If people were allowed to drive the speed intended for roadways you'd see accidents in many instances decrease. Often times, the characteristics of the road itself limit the speed of vehicles. Would you speed in an urban area with curbed shoulders, 10' lanes and heavy pedestrian activity? Would you speed on a rural interstate in a 30 mile straight section where the posted speed is 55MPH? If you wish to see what it's like when speed limits are posted artificially low, check out MD 32 or MD 100 in Anne Arundel County, MD. I guarantee you that the average speed on that roadway is 70MPH for a posted 55MPH zone. Do people speed on that road? Absolutely. Does the design of the road encourage people to drive 70MPH? Absolutely. Do cops set a bad example by driving 80MPH in a 55MPH zone? Sure they do. What happens when you are driving 55 on one of these two roads? Chances are you greatly increase your likelihood of being rear ended or receiving an unpleasant gesture. There are reasons why accidents occur. Speed can be one of them, but often times it's not high speeds that cause the accidents but variation in speeds that cause it. Posting the speed limit at the proper / higher speed can make roads safer. It won't make all accidents go away, but it'll keep the flow of traffic movement and with a efficient flow the roads simply become safer.
May 20, 200916 yr The 85th percentile rule is probably a good measure. I do wonder if over time we could move toward dynamic speed limits. Cheap LCD's with a few sensors could adjust the speed limit to keep traffic roughly at the proper speed. I am thinking mostly of reducing the stated limit during rain, snow or ice. Some states already do this, but not "Slowhio".
May 21, 200916 yr I'd add any number of U.S. routes in rural Ohio which have a posted double nickel to this list of roads that are kept at an artificially low number as a form of revenue enhancement.
May 21, 200916 yr *cough* Stubenville, Ohio, who not only zealously enforced their ultra-low speed limit, but also installed illegal traffic light cameras. The situation with their corrupt city and police department got so bad that they had to sign a decree with the Justice Department -- the second such city. And then there is Hanging Rock and New Rome...
May 21, 200916 yr In addition to insurance companies, the State Highway Patrol is a powerful opponent to higher speed limits. In some of my with them, they were not sophisticated in terms of data and policy analysis, but rather just went on the gut opinion that faster was less safe.
May 21, 200916 yr The 85th percentile rule is probably a good measure. I do wonder if over time we could move toward dynamic speed limits. Cheap LCD's with a few sensors could adjust the speed limit to keep traffic roughly at the proper speed. I am thinking mostly of reducing the stated limit during rain, snow or ice. Some states already do this, but not "Slowhio". They just installed these in St. Louis to help alleviate rush hour traffic. According to my parents, it's not working.
May 21, 200916 yr A story on Channel 5 said that the meters were delayed due to a subcontractor going out of business. ODOT says that the meters will be functioning by "early summer".
May 22, 200916 yr They don't work. I was on the NJ Turnpike last night and the speed limit -- on a dynamic display -- was set to 45 MPH due to "congestion." The only "congestion" to speak of was traffic flowing at 75 MPH. Of course, after we saw the sign, there was a cop with his radar out.
May 22, 200916 yr New Rome no longer exists, due to their outrageous speed trap abuses. The land that was formerly New Rome has been subsumed into whatever township surrounded it. Franklin County took over its legal records. This was all ordered by a judge somewhat recently. Having slower truck speeds is dangerous because it leads to constant lane shifting on the freeway. Things flow much better on a road like the turnpike, where vehicles are simply vehicles. Also, any drop in truck speed reduces how much each truck can accomplish in a day, thus increasing the cost of everything you buy. I'm all for this bill.
May 22, 200916 yr I don't see dynamic speed working during congestion, but I could see it more during weather events.
May 22, 200916 yr Having slower truck speeds is dangerous because it leads to constant lane shifting on the freeway. Things flow much better on a road like the turnpike, where vehicles are simply vehicles. Also, any drop in truck speed reduces how much each truck can accomplish in a day, thus increasing the cost of everything you buy. I'm all for this bill. I've always felt that the separate speeds for trucks was a safety hazard and that we're safer when we're all going the same speed. But I don't think moving the speed limit up to 70 is justified, it wastes gas, and I'm not convinced that allowing people to go faster just because some people already are is the best way to set highway speeds.
May 22, 200916 yr They don't work. I was on the NJ Turnpike last night and the speed limit -- on a dynamic display -- was set to 45 MPH due to "congestion." The only "congestion" to speak of was traffic flowing at 75 MPH. Of course, after we saw the sign, there was a cop with his radar out. Ugh.
May 22, 200916 yr The AAA -- whose "studies" are funded by major insurance corporations, continues to refute official WVDOH numbers on this, but the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a non-partisan, independent organization has come to the conclusion that raising speed limits on well engineered roadways to the 85th percentile does not raise accident or fatality rates. The IIHS, or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, can all be ignored. Sherman, this might be a stupid question, but I'm curious, why shouldn't we trust insurance companies studies on road safety? I would think that of all organizations, an insurance company would have the least to gain by allowing bias to affect the outcome of a study on road safety. Please help me understand what I'm missing here.
May 22, 200916 yr The Insurance Industry crowd is all about making sure that they don't have to pay out. If they had their way we'd all drive 25 in foam bumpy cars. Life is no fun without some risk.
May 22, 200916 yr The Insurance Industry crowd is all about making sure that they don't have to pay out. If they had their way we'd all drive 25 in foam bumpy cars. Life is no fun without some risk. Well personally I'd rather never get another check from an insurance company, but if you feel differently that's your business. (Please stay away from me while driving though) Either way, what motivation do they have in trying to get people to drive slower, if it isn't, as they claim, safer?
May 22, 200916 yr It may be only marginally safer and not worth its cost. The insurance companies have no motivation to worry about other peoples' opportunity cost. If we were driving 25 encased in foam, commerce would grind to a halt but insurance firms would flourish. The insurance companies have an incentive to prevent/discourage all human activity, or at least all activity save whatever amount is needed for their clients to earn just enough to pay the premiums.
May 23, 200916 yr Given the energy realities that we are entering, it makes little sense to encourage further wasteful use of oil. I would prefer that trucks be allow to go 65 instead. I always feel much safer when everyone has the same speed limit. It's also less stressful. I'm one of those who, on the turnpike, sits in the right lane and sets my cruise at 65. I'm not old, but I've come to a point in my life where I've realize that there is just no reason for me to be in a hurry. Having 70 mph speed limits may be fine in the south and southwest, where there is little, if any, winter weather, but in Ohio, where winter storms are common, I don't think it's a good idea. Why? Because there are just enough bad drivers out there who don't even slow down with a 65 mph speed limit, that it endangers the safe ones. I remember several years ago driving from Delaware, OH to Akron during a snow storm. During a 10 minute time span, I was passed by no fewer than 5 people trying to go 65 mph (no, I'm not exaggerrating). Every single one of them ended up either in the center median, or in the grass off the right berm. I ended up getting off the freeway at State Route 95 and taking back roads the whole way because I felt sooner or later, one of these idiots was going to hit me. I disagree with the higher limit moreso because of its wastefulness of fuel, though.
May 23, 200916 yr ^You don't set speed limits for poor weather. Speed limits are set for driving conditions under Clear / Cloudy / Dry conditions. People are assumed to be intelligent enough to know when they should take caution. Some people will always be inherently stupid, regardless of what the speed limit is set at. Those are the people targeted for enforcement. One of the unfortunate things about American society is that when it comes to driving, most Americans simply don't care about the environment. Their minds are set on getting from point A to point B quickly and safely. Time is precious, and if one can safely shave time off of driving, they will, legally or illegally. Life is no fun without some risk. Read Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt. It goes into a lot of discussion regarding this topic as it relates to traffic. Moral of the story... every driver accepts risks while driving, either explicitly or implicitly. Why do people speed? Because to them, the risk of what can happen is below their threshold for safety. If drivers did not think it was safe to speed, they wouldn't do it. How do you make it seem not safe to speed? Stop designing roads in urban areas as though they are rural roads. Provide curves to keep people from dozing off. Box in motorists with closed sections of roadways.
May 23, 200916 yr What's about using ARTIMIS-type CMS signs to reduce the speed limit during bad weather?
May 23, 200916 yr Why? It's already state law that during inclement weather, traffic must drive accordingly. If it is snowing heavily, and you travel 65 mph and get into an accident, you will recieve a citation.9
May 24, 200916 yr [...] I'm one of those who, on the turnpike, sits in the right lane and sets my cruise at 65. I'm not old, but I've come to a point in my life where I've realize that there is just no reason for me to be in a hurry. [...] Most of the time I don't see myself as old, but sometimes I contemplate my approaching birthday ending in a zero and realize that not long ago, I thought of people of my present age as old. I'm a safe, defensive driver, fully aware that my senses, reflexes, and agility are not what they were twenty or thirty years ago. I avoid the interstates and expressways whenever possible because I feel like they're dangerous, full of aggression, and usually unpleasant. At a more leisurely pace on the byways I often come upon places that I want to visit and experience. When there's no alternative to an Interstate for covering some distance and my time is limited, I set my cruise control at the posted limit, stay in the right lane, and just roll along. When I find myself becoming boxed in, perhaps behind the rare truck traveling at the posted limit with several aggressive drivers jockeying to be the first to pass, I reduce my speed by about 5mph, drop out of the back of the pack and let the rest of them duke it out. Some drivers may blame me for creating a hazard, but they should be examining their own dangerously aggressive mindset. I don't think the 75th or 85th percentile is a good basis for determining speed limits; many drivers are blissfully unaware of potential hazards or the consequences of a screw-up at high speed and sublimely overconfident of their vehicle-handling skillls. The roads are used by people with a wide range of driving skills, and most of us pay taxes to build and support the roads. Laws and law enforcement should provide a safe traveling environment for all highway users, especially considering the lack of alternatives to driving; even if we attain our goal of more widespread, frequent passenger trains, those won't satisfy the needs of people in small towns that have lost or never had intercity bus service, who need to conduct business in a larger city two or three hours away. ... The insurance companies have no motivation to worry about other peoples' opportunity cost ... Opportunity cost hard to quantify. Some people drive fast because they think they're saving time that can be used productively doing something else, but many are just in the habit of driving fast. Some are just hurrying to get home for supper and moron TV. Adhering to the posted limit on non-interstates I'm often passed by drivers going much faster than I am, and thirty miles later I find that we're sharing the same stoplight cycle. On a two- or three-hour drive on an Interstate I may be passed twice or more by the same driver, who clearly isn't using his time productively, spending his gas money wisely or respecting the environment. Going like hell for a hundred miles, stopping for snacks, gas, bathroom, and then going like hell until the next hundred is just indulging stupid, bad habits.
May 24, 200916 yr People are assumed to be intelligent enough to know when they should take caution. Some people will always be inherently stupid, regardless of what the speed limit is set at. Those are the people targeted for enforcement. IMHO, there has been a noticeable degradation in the common sense factor with respect to people's driving habits over the past 10 years. I'm not alone in this view. If the speed limit is 65, many of the idiots won't drive 75-80 for fear of getting a ticket. And, for the morons who currently try drive at the current limit of 65 when the roads are bad, I'd rather they tried to drive 65 than 70. I realize that, like it or not, people are allowed to be stupid. But, it's the stupid people who endanger those who try to act with reason and common sense. I also realize that speed limits are set for good driving conditions, that's partly why I said I oppose the raising of the speed limit moreso for fuel efficiency reasons (which has much more to do with our looming energy predicament than the environment).
May 26, 200916 yr Surprise, surprise. Ohio is #2! I'm shocked that West Virginia was ranked as high as it was. I travel the roads of that state a lot, and rarely encounter any police anywhere. I did encounter at least 10 officers on Interstate 79 on Memorial Day, but that's expected. National Motorists Association ranks states most hostile to drivers By Chris Paukert, Autoblog, May 21st 2009 For as long as there has been traffic enforcement, drivers from different states have gathered to compare notes on whose police and legal systems are the most oppressive and toughest to deal with. While most such conversations rarely progress beyond the anecdotal, the folks over at the National Motorists Association have actually gone to the trouble of ranking all 50 states using a set of seventeen criteria, just in time to adjust your travel plans ahead of this weekend's Memorial Day holiday. Click the link above for the full blog post. -- State Rankings - Memorial Day Weekend 2009 With the first major driving holiday of the summer season approaching, we have analyzed the laws across the country to determine the best and the worst states when it comes to exploiting the motoring public. These state rankings were calculated using seventeen criteria related to specific traffic laws, enforcement practices, and the treatment of traffic ticket defendants. The rankings are designed to provide guidance to travelers who do not want their vacation ruined by speed traps, arcane laws or "kangaroo" traffic courts. Full List Of State Rankings From Worst To Best 1) New Jersey 2) Ohio 3) Maryland 4) Louisiana 5) New York 6) Illinois 7) Delaware 8) Virginia 9) Washington 10) Massachusetts 11) Colorado 12) Oregon 13) Tennessee 14) California 15) Michigan 16) Vermont 17) Maine 18) Florida 19) Pennsylvania 20) North Carolina 21) Alabama 22) Rhode Island 23) West Virginia 24) New Hampshire 25) Arizona 26) New Mexico 27) Missouri 28) Texas 29) Oklahoma 30) Nevada 31) Georgia 32) Connecticut 33) South Carolina 34) Iowa 35) Hawaii 36) Arkansas 37) Alaska 38) Kansas 39) Mississippi 40) Wisconsin 41) Utah 42) South Dakota 43) Indiana 44) Minnesota 45) North Dakota 46) Kentucky 47) Nebraska 48) Montana 49) Idaho 50) Wyoming List of Criteria Used To Generate Rankings (no particular order) 1) Speed Traps Per Capita (# of speed traps listed on www.speedtrap.org indexed to population) 2) Does the state have "driver responsibility" fees? 3) Does the state have mayor's courts? 4) Does the state authorize the use of roadblocks? 5) What are the freeway speed limits? 6) Does the state have red-light cameras? 7) Does the state have speed cameras? 8) Are there toll roads in the state? 9) Is a jury trial available for traffic violations? 10) Is trial by declaration (asserting a defense in writing without appearing in court) available? 11) Is the state a member of the Non-Resident Violator Compact? 12) Is the state a member of the Driver's License Compact? 13) Are radar detectors banned in the state? 14) Does the state have a primary seat belt law? 15) Are there adult helmet laws in the state? 16) Are there move-over laws in the state? 17) Is cell phone use banned?
May 26, 200916 yr I dont think speed contributes to accidents on the highways, like someone said above it is the variability and change in speed that does that most damage. If people in this country could just 'drive right' and pass on the left then that would take care of most of the problem. Instead we have too many people who will drive at or 5 mph below the speed limit in the left 2 lanes on a 4 lane highway. Oh and from what ive personally seen people do while driving a car: texting, calling, reading a book, reading the newspaper, shaving, putting on makeup, painting your nails, along with god only knows what else probably has a lot more to do with accidents than strictly the speed of the car.
May 26, 200916 yr While Ohio has a lot of the issues, I'd add the use of unmarked police cars. Ohio is at least reliable in terms of where cops sit and they have to be in plain view. Not so much in other states.
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