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New higher speed limits in Oregon

faithful_servant

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Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.
I think you may be right about people driving only as fast as they feel safe on that road.
In Central Texas they have a section of 85 Mph toll road, there are some hot rods there,
but most of the cars I saw were driving between 80 and 85.
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.

We have 80+ outside of Kerville. I couldn't imagine being forced to go 65 everywhere, let alone 55. Absurd.
 
We have 80+ outside of Kerville. I couldn't imagine being forced to go 65 everywhere, let alone 55. Absurd.

On a 2 lane highway with roads intersecting it every mile or so and homes in between?? Anything over 65 is a bad idea and we know it.
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.

We used to have a common sense speed rule in Oregon. Basically it said you drove the speed that was safe considering the conditions.

However, since Oregon drivers as a group are the worst drivers in all the US, if it doesn't rain for three days they totally forget how to drive in the rain. Hell, it only takes two cereal boxtops to get your license here. :mrgreen:
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.

I've driven stretches of Eastern Oregon where 165mph should be "correct". Like anywhere on 84 between Ontario and La Grande should be pretty much unlimited. That area may as well be west Texas.
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.
Once the speed limit is legally 65 the drivers will probably start driving around 70 to 75 miles and hour.
 
On a 2 lane highway with roads intersecting it every mile or so and homes in between?? Anything over 65 is a bad idea and we know it.

Google maps Potranco Road San Antonio. Look for Potranco and HWY 211. It's on the outside West/sw of the city. 211 is 65. So is potranco till you hit Tally then it is 55 till you hit 1604. We haven't any issues.
 
Some Oregon speed limits will rise March 1

We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.

Most folks drive at speeds they are comfortable with. As long as one is sober and sane, nobody really wants to crash their car.
 
We used to have a common sense speed rule in Oregon. Basically it said you drove the speed that was safe considering the conditions.

However, since Oregon drivers as a group are the worst drivers in all the US, if it doesn't rain for three days they totally forget how to drive in the rain. Hell, it only takes two cereal boxtops to get your license here. :mrgreen:

That's on the West side of the Cascades, I'm on the East side where we drive 80 MPH in the snow and complain about the Portland drivers slowing us down. BTW - Over here, it takes 3 labels off of bottles of Deschutes Brewery beer to get a license.
 
Once the speed limit is legally 65 the drivers will probably start driving around 70 to 75 miles and hour.

We vacationed over at Yellowstone last summer and drove an hour each day on a 65 MPH highway very similar to what I drive daily. People pretty much drove 65 MPH.
 
I drove from SoCal to idaho and took a road north out of winnemucca NV and it cut the south east corner of oregon. After hours and hours of hauling ass that 100 or so miles of Oregon felt like a snails pace. I was warned not to speed there with CA plates by my family in idaho.
 
We vacationed over at Yellowstone last summer and drove an hour each day on a 65 MPH highway very similar to what I drive daily. People pretty much drove 65 MPH.

In my city that is not the case. We have a 65 MPH on our highways and people drive 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit. They do this because they know most cops will not waste their time pulling someone over for driving 5 to 10 miles over the limit on the highway.
 
In my city that is not the case. We have a 65 MPH on our highways and people drive 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit. They do this because they know most cops will not waste their time pulling someone over for driving 5 to 10 miles over the limit on the highway.

Well that's what you get for living in a state that isn't Oregon....
 
Within reason, I think it is not speed that kills but excessive speed for the conditions.

If everyone is going 75...that is fine.

But when everyone is going 60 and a few people are going 80...that is when trouble starts in my experience.

Years ago I drove through Wyoming (or some state that had no official speed limit on some interstates) and it was fine even though people were all going way over 55.
 
We've been one of the longest holdouts in speed limits in the country and finally joining our neighbors with higher speed limits. The thing is, it's pretty much pointless. The road I drive to work every day is pretty heavily traveled and when the speed limit was 55 MPH, most people drove 65, now that the speed limit has been raised to 65, most people are driving around 65. My theory is that most drivers have a pretty good idea of what the "correct" speed is and generally drive that speed. On Hwy 97, the "correct" speed is around 65 MPH and that's what people drive. On the drive to work this morning, I don't think that I got over 60 for most of the trip.

Huh, I live in Ok where the speed limit is based on highway dimensions and traffic load. Our wider turnpikes run 75 in the more rural parts, down to 55 in cities near traffic choke points. Our state highways have 65 in the rural areas. Now we drive routinely 5 mph over those limits (some do more than that), I'd say a minority drive at or just below the limit if conditions allow for faster travel.

Texas is the same, hell, they seem to take the posted speed limit as a suggestion... ;)

Pennsylvania has 55 on much of the penn turnpike yet you'd be flipped off by a passing granny in her VW bug if you slowed your lane of traffic down that slow...

I'd say give your fellow travelers a few weeks to adjust and then you'll be the traffic problem if you do the speed limit when the traffic flows allows for faster... :peace
 
I think you may be right about people driving only as fast as they feel safe on that road.
In Central Texas they have a section of 85 Mph toll road, there are some hot rods there,
but most of the cars I saw were driving between 80 and 85.

I was doing an even 100 MPH on the Pickle Parkway, a cop saw me and flashed his lights. When I slowed down to 90 he went on his way without pulling me over. What is also interesting here in Texas is that many non-interstate roads are posted at 75 MPH.
 
Well that's what you get for living in a state that isn't Oregon....

People tend to speed 5 to 10 miles over the limit on highways. Ever been to Texas. The speed limit is around 70MPH in many areas and people speed around 75 to 80MPH. They do that because in many areas law enforcement will not pull people over for going 5 to 10 miles over the limit on a highway. That will not change for Oregon. Where ever it is post 65 MPH people will got 70 to 75 MPH and where ever the posted speed limit is 70MPH people will go 75 to 80 MPH. If it there was a posted speed limit of 100 MPH people would do 105 to 110MPH.
 
around here, though, they've allowed the roads to turn to ****. i've never seen them this bad since i started driving. ****, some of them seem like they were probably last paved when i started driving, and i'm 41. set the speed limit wherever you want, but don't expect me to break a wheel off of my car trying to keep up. if you want autobahn speeds, the roads need to be in good shape.
 
I have had Florida State Trooper, the pilot for their Cessnas used in speed enforcement, tell me that they do not stop anybody less than 80MPH, and that's with a 70 speed limit.

That seems to be the general rule even for non-airplane speed enforcement.
 
People tend to speed 5 to 10 miles over the limit on highways. Ever been to Texas. The speed limit is around 70MPH in many areas and people speed around 75 to 80MPH. They do that because in many areas law enforcement will not pull people over for going 5 to 10 miles over the limit on a highway. That will not change for Oregon. Where ever it is post 65 MPH people will got 70 to 75 MPH and where ever the posted speed limit is 70MPH people will go 75 to 80 MPH. If it there was a posted speed limit of 100 MPH people would do 105 to 110MPH.

After the first week, my personal experience on Hwy 97 has been pretty much what I expected. Even the out of state drivers drive the "correct" speed for the Hwy.
 
After the first week, my personal experience on Hwy 97 has been pretty much what I expected. Even the out of state drivers drive the "correct" speed for the Hwy.
The correct speed limit is what ever is posted.Once people get used to the increased speed limits people will go 5 to 10 miles above the speed limit or what speed above the limit they think law enforcement will not give them a ticket for.
 
We have 80+ outside of Kerville. I couldn't imagine being forced to go 65 everywhere, let alone 55. Absurd.

You do know that they are Speed Limits, some may go over them and other will go at them or even less, Limit is supposed to mean the Limit, so no one is forcing you to drive 65.
 
You do know that they are Speed Limits, some may go over them and other will go at them or even less, Limit is supposed to mean the Limit, so no one is forcing you to drive 65.

I mean that slowly...
 
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