Carey is likely 41 years old, to young to have any first hand knowledge of bias ply tires, cars without disc brakes and airbags.
Do those practical upgrades even register on the young engineers who are looking for a lifetime career of not rocking the boat at their hard to come by govt job in Detroit? Probably not.
I grudgingly volunteer to speak in the States defense.
ReplyDeleteThe geometry controls are part of a set of guidelines published in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design guidelines. These guidelines are accepted as "Best Practices" by all design professionals when it comes to anything to do with transportation design. If the state or city raised the speed limit for an area that does not meet the design requirements for that speed, they would quickly be on the loosing side of a lawsuit after the very first accident.
p- Does the current roadway meet current design requirements for a 70 MPH speed limit?
d- no
p- Then, why did you raise the speed limit knowing that the roadway does not meet the requirements for a 70 MPH limit?
d- because that's what people said they wanted?
I forgot where I was trying to go with this. I bet it would have been an awesome comment if I didn't wonder off.
Oh you had me going! Lol, HA!
DeleteBut, may I ask you direct, if the 55 mph of a 10,000 pound garbage truck in 1970, with bias ply tires, drum brakes, no airbags, no crush zones, lousy suspension and steering, was acceptable. How can that same road, and it's design geometry not be acceptable for a 2024 Honda, with new suspension design, antilock brakes, GOD DAMN NEW tire rubber (remember, the rubber itself in 1970 was lousy) and tread, with a bigger contact patch, better steering, disc brakes and computer tech stuff?
It's simply got to be a 70 zone for cars made for the past 20 years, on tires made in the past 8 years, with all the damn advancements in vehicle steering, braking, and suspension!
Do you find those factors in the vehicles that are 70 years more advanced in safety and traction, and braking, not reasonably applicable to making that freeway a 70 mph zone?
And I hope you do not apply the "current roadway design requirements" factors, but instead, only reflect on the things I mention, that contrast the vehicles of when that freeway was made, to the freeway users today.
I don't think anyone will argue that the cars of today are vastly superior to the cars of the sixties, but sadly the drivers of today are no better and auguably inferior to the drivers of the past, with the greater number of distractions and their greater sense of invulnerability. In spite of technical advancements the roadways and rules have to allow for the lowest common denominator since we have a national attitude of allowing almost anyone to drive.
ReplyDeleteok, I get what you're saying - see it every time I get on a freeway (see a map of San Diego - we have about 10 all over the damn place and never take streets to get anywhere until after using a interstate to get closest at the highest speed, the 905, 805, 5, 8, 94, 56, 76, 78, 163, 15, 125, 67, 54, and 52. Those are just the ones around town!
DeleteBut the engineer guy for Michigan that was interviewed based the answer on the state's official line, that of the geometry! NOT the stupidest unsafe driver! So, what you said, can't be applied to his answer, right?