A decades-old rule lets drivers set speed limits on US roads. That could be changing

For years, Rose Hammond officials pushed the assisted life community, a church, two schools and a large number of Youth Sports Leagues to reduce a speed limit of a speed limit on a two -lane road passing a busy park.

“What are you waiting for, someone will take murdered? “The 85 -year -old Chipied officials in Northwest Ohio complain that nothing has been done about motorcycles that compete almost every day.

Among the increasing public pressure, Sylvania Township asked the district engineers to analyze whether Mitchaw Road was published in March. The speed is too high. Surprisingly: Technically, 5 miles / hour very low.

The reason is based on work on rural roads since the 1930s and 1940s. speed limits Throughout the USA – even in urban areas.

It was a widely accepted concept known as 85% of the rules of 85%, which shows that a path of a road should be rounded to the nearest 5 mile / hour increase, depending on every 100 vehicles traveling in free -flow traffic.

However, after closely following the rule, some states – with a imprisonment from the federal government – try to change if not changing the instructions on which speed limit should decide to publish the speed limit.

Drivers set speed

The concept assumes that the safest speed of a road is the most tools – neither too high nor too low. If drivers think the speed limit should be increased, they can once press the gas from the Institute of Transport Engineers as an old brochure and vote with their feet ”.

“The problem with this approach is to create this feedback cycle, Jenjan “People are accelerating and then the speed boundaries will end up in a way that fits this speed.”

The Association developed an alternative to the 85% rules known as “city boundaries ,, which aims to minimize the risk of injury for all road users. Speed Limit It is based on a formula that affects the possibility of conflicts such as the activity level of a street and collisions.

The report states that 85% of the rule is based on research dated and that “these historical roads are far from live streets and arteries that determine the city streets today”.

Lately Increase in road deaths Throughout the country Federal Highway Administration He sent a subtle but important message that 85 % of the rule was not actually a rule and has a lot of weight to determine local speed limits. Since 2009, in the first update of a guide for traffic signs for traffic signs, the agency communities explained how the road is used, the risk of pedestrians and the frequency of accidents.

Leah Shahum, who directs Vision Zero Network, is an unreachable organization Street safety, He acknowledges that he wished to go further in despise the 85% rule of the guide, but that the change affects the way of determining the speed limits of some states. However, others said that the long -standing approach depends on the simplicity and familiarity.

“85. Persentyl should not be a sacred bowl or the Bible, and it is still accepted so,” Shahum said.

Rethink your speed

Under the “20 Bol” campaign, Madison’s Wisconsin capital changes signs throughout the city this summer and reduces the speed limit from 25 miles / hour to 20 miles / hour on local settlement streets.

When Seattle took a similar step in a pilot program seven years ago, according to Vision Zero Network, it decreased not only in serious injuries accidents, but also a 7% decrease in 85th persuentary rate.

California It basically embraces 85% rules more than most states to determine the speed limits. However, in recent years, the legislators have loosening restrictions on local governments a little and allowed them to leave the instructions if they could specify a proven security need. Defenders He says that the change for pedestrians and cyclists helps, but is not enough.

“We still have a long way to add value to California, Kalız we still have a long way to add value to California, Kal said Kendra Ramsey, General Manager of California Cycling Coalition. “There is still a very heavy mentality that cars are the primary method of travel and that they should be prioritized and respected.”

However, Jay Beeber, the Policy Manager of the National Drivers Association, which is an advocacy organization for drivers, said that 85% of the rule often is often the safest way to minimize the change in the speed between the issuing border drivers and the many exceeded ones.

“It doesn’t really matter which number you pointed out,” Beeber said. “An average driver directs the nature of the highway. It would be patented that a government builds a way to encourage people to last 45 miles / hour, sets a speed limit on 30 miles on it and then built the ticket because they built everyone.”

80 new 55

The fears about oil prices encouraged the congress to set the maximum speed limit of 55 miles / h in the 1970s, and then relieved up to 65 miles / h in 1995 before abolishing the law and delivering the authority to the states. Since then, the speed limits have continued to climb, this summer north Dakota has become the ninth state to allow drivers to go 80 miles / hour on some highways. There is even a segment of a 40 -mile between Austin and San Antonio in Texas, allowing to reach a speed of 85 miles / h.

Although high-speed highways other than large population centers are not the focus of their efforts to alleviate 85%, a 2019 study for insurance security for highway safety shows a research branches financed by automobile insurers. In the study, an increase to a state of a state increases the probability of death on the inter -state highways and 2.8% on other roads.

Chuck Farmer, Vice President of the Institute, said, “Maybe you gave a real feeling about how fast you are using a model T, but you have no idea what 80 miles / hour in modern vehicles is. You are in a cocoon.”

Change attempt by a town

Ohio, if the selected authorities in Sylvania Township enter the path, the speed limit of Mitchaw Road will be significantly cut – 55 miles / hour or lower. The fact that the district’s 85% rule actually wanted to raise the speed of 60 miles / h has surprised the town’s leaders, but not the engineers who carry out the work.

Lucas If we don’t make decisions based on data, it is very difficult to make good decisions, Lu said Lucas County Engineer Mike Pniewski.

For now, the speed limit will remain as it is. Because the Ohio law determines the maximum speed for 15 different highway types, regardless of what 85% of the rule suggests.

And Ohio’s instructions are developing. The state now pays more attention to the road context and allows cities to reduce speed limits compared to low standard of low standard when cities have a large presence of pedestrians and cyclists. The authorities there have recently hired a consultant to take into account additional changes, depending on what other states did.

Michelle May, who managed Ohio’s highway security program, said, “States began to move very slowly than the 85th of the gold standard for decision -making.” “People travel and live differently than 40 years ago, and we want to focus more security.”

It is unclear whether any of these changes will ultimately affect the speed of the Mitchaw Road. State, district and district officials that lasted for years after years of calls and e -mail Hammond, says he did not hold his breath.

Im I was very courageous, ”he said.