2,000 speeding tickets per month

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

Okay.  I guess we need this discussion again.  The police don't set speed limits.  Traffic engineers do, based on several factors.  I believe ODOT controls the speed limit on The BA.  Don't like the speed limit?  Complain to ODOT, not the police for enforcing the law.

I doubt the 85th percentile speed at that location is 55mph.

[sauerkraut]

That story tells me that the speed limit is set too low, if 90% of the cars go above the posted limit it's time to raise the speedlimit. Who kidding who, the speed limit is really just a way to get more money for the city coffers, just like seat belt laws and helmet laws. I wish the cops would spend the time they spend clocking cars working to fight crime and patrol for house break-ins. It's a big waste of manpower to write tickets when there is so much crime. Tulsa needs to get it's priorities in order.[xx(]

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

That story tells me that the speed limit is set too low, if 90% of the cars go above the posted limit it's time to raise the speedlimit. Who kidding who, the speed limit is really just a way to get more money for the city coffers, just like seat belt laws and helmet laws. I wish the cops would spend the time they spend clocking cars working to fight crime and patrol for house break-ins. It's a big waste of manpower to write tickets when there is so much crime. Tulsa needs to get it's priorities in order.[xx(]

[]

You worry about Columbus, us real residents will worry about Tulsa.

[8D]

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

That story tells me that the speed limit is set too low, if 90% of the cars go above the posted limit it's time to raise the speedlimit. Who kidding who, the speed limit is really just a way to get more money for the city coffers, just like seat belt laws and helmet laws. I wish the cops would spend the time they spend clocking cars working to fight crime and patrol for house break-ins. It's a big waste of manpower to write tickets when there is so much crime. Tulsa needs to get it's priorities in order.[xx(]

Here we go again:

17,000 murders every year in the US.
43,000 traffic fatalities every year in the US.

Dead is dead.

[Red Arrow]

I think it would be unacceptable to most drivers to set the speed limit low enough to prevent all fatalities.  Sudden stops, usually caused by poor driving, kill.  High speed in itself does not. At least speeds up to about 25,000 mph do not. (Approximate escape velocity from earth to go to the moon.)

[Ed W]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur
[

Here we go again:

17,000 murders every year in the US.
43,000 traffic fatalities every year in the US.

Dead is dead.
[/quote]

If I recall right, NHTSA statistics say that roughly 60% of fatalities involve alcohol and another 30% involve speeding.  So it seems perfectly reasonable to devote law enforcement man hours to reducing both.  Of course, they could simply combine both under the category "stupid."

That wouldn't be necessary here in Oklahoma, where all drivers are above average.  (With apologies to Garrison Keillor.  I stole it from him.)

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur
[

Here we go again:

17,000 murders every year in the US.
43,000 traffic fatalities every year in the US.

Dead is dead.

If I recall right, NHTSA statistics say that roughly 60% of fatalities involve alcohol and another 30% involve speeding.  So it seems perfectly reasonable to devote law enforcement man hours to reducing both.  Of course, they could simply combine both under the category "stupid."
[/quote]
And both of those statistics are utterly useless. The 'involves alcohol' does not equate to 'drunk drivers,' and 'involves speeding' does not mean that the crash would not have occurred if the drivers involved had been driving the speed limit.

[Red Arrow]

For more cherry picked statistics, re-visit the statistics used to "prove" that the infamous 55 MPH speed limit saved lives.  Much of those statistics involved roads that were never marked over 55 MPH, even before the 55 MPH national embarrassment.

[Townsend]

47% of all statistics are made up on the spot

[tnt091605]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

Okay.  I guess we need this discussion again.  The police don't set speed limits.  Traffic engineers do, based on several factors.  I believe ODOT controls the speed limit on The BA.  Don't like the speed limit?  Complain to ODOT, not the police for enforcing the law.

I'm confident the number of wrecks along the curve of The BA near Lewis is the main factor in the lower speed limits (a whole 5 mph lower).  Knowing most folks are not getting stopped until 70 or higher, that would still be 10 over the limit on the rest of the road out 'till Memorial.  C'mon!

So its 55 because stupid people can't negotiate a curve?  A curve that is less dangerous than the east bound curve at Sheridan that has a higher speed limit?

Sounds like the traffic engineers need to review that stretch of road.

I know that curve at Sheridan is unbelievable.  You can see how many cars have hit the retaining wall.