Oregon Department of Transportation Takes another Look at Speed Limits

I've written a few times about how speed limits are set. For those of you just joining the conversation, it mostly boils down to the speed that most drivers are going. Essentially, most people drive safely. It has been calculated that roughly 85% of the people on the road will drive at or below a safe driving speed, and this 85% is what engineers use to set speed limits. It isn't a complex system. They go out there with radar guns for a few days, get a bunch of readings, and voila! We have a new speed limit.

Well, in Oregon, some city officials have asked ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) engineers to take another look at Highway 62. While the road itself is the same as ever, there are new business and other buildings nearby that have sprung up in recent years that necessitate a new take on the speed limit. The influx of more traffic, as well as the different visual layout of the road, may cause some to slow down on the road.

This makes sense. For instance, if I'm driving out on a country road with nothing but farmland on either side I'm going to go a lot faster than if I'm driving through a school zone or if I see some kids running around their front yard playing soccer. There's a far greater chance of a kid running out into the road when I'm near a school zone than driving past a cornfield. Sure, it's possible someone could step out from between two cornstalks and into my path. But the danger of this is far less, and even if I don't consciously think about it, I slow down when there's greater danger on the road.

The thinking of the city council members who want Highway 62 looked at again is that there's more danger of accidents on the road now that more businesses are in the area, and if there's more danger, there's a good chance that people are driving slower anyways, and the limit should be lowered to stop that other % of people who drive too fast. It's the 15% who speed that necessitate speed limits.

What struck me as odd about the story is that the Mayor and a few of the council members have stated that they may not be satisfied with the ODOT engineer's findings if it doesn't go their way. This I don't like. They more or less said that if the engineers do not agree that the speed should be lowered, they'll make appeals in different ways until they win.

I applaud their fighting spirit, and it's nice to see a politician actually dig in their heels, but speed limits are set scientifically. One of the ODOT engineers pointed out that if the speed limit is set too low it have been proven SCIENTIFICALLY that this will cause more accidents. An unnatural speed limit will throw a lot of drivers off, and this causes accidents.

City council members should by all means work toward what they think is right. That's exactly what I want from an elected official. If their constituents are pressuring them and they take a stand, democracy is working. Awesome.

The problem here is that some people are stupid, and they think they know everything. Heck, sometimes they're very smart people, but they just don't happen to have knowledge of a particular experience. I like to think I'm a pretty smart guy, but I can't claim to know how to fix a car. I changed my first tire three days ago. If my radiator isn't working, I take it to a mechanic.

The ODOT engineers know their stuff. They're the mechanics of the roads. Their whole job is to make sure the roads run smoothly. They have spent their lives figuring out how to make roads safer, and though it seems counter intuitive, sometimes this means RAISING the speed limit.

Crazy, but true.

Lower speed limits may look good to voters, and it may show a politician is capable of getting things done, but we all need to be careful what we ask for. I'd like to attached a jet propulsion engine to the back of my car and rocket down the road like Batman. If I had the money I'd probably do it.

I'd also probably get into a horrible car crash going 1000 mph. If only I'd listened to the people who know what they're talking about...

Labels: oregon, police procedure, speed limits