Ncturnal said:
The artificially low speed limits promote the behavior that annoys you the most. When the speed limits are increased to more reasonable levels, studies have proven there is much greater compliance for the "keep right" law, and less people hogging the left lane because "they are already going the speed limit".
I believe that is what happens here on the freeways.
Even though some people blast past in the fast lane at 100mph, most of the quicker drivers do about 87mph constantly.
The majority of the regular people are going about 80 mph and some are right at the speed limit which is 120kph (75mph). Most people generally keep sort of right no matter what speed they go (although there are exceptions).
There is absolutely no enforcement of the speed (on freeways)(even on normal roads there is very little compared to what you guys have) so people driving near the speed limit aren’t doing it because they are scared of anything. They are doing it because they want to.
That’s the really nice thing; people are driving at what they are happy with and staying out of each others way. It’s such a nice feeling.
Strangely, the slower drivers don’t mind the faster drivers even though they know the limit is 75mph (120kph). So I assume 75mph is not considered “artificially low” by the people here.
Just south of us, in France, its 130kph (80mph).
When it starts getting down to about 65mph (like in many parts of Holland in the built-up areas), then you see people getting aggravated.
What I find very cool here in Belgium and most of Europe is you can drive like a maniac at 75mph through a town (30mph and sometimes 50-55mph) and there are no cops to stop you.
But exactly because of that, people drive relatively slowly through a town.
It’s very cool to see that.
When you give people the responsibility to be responsible, they are.
When you treat them like children, they get aggravated and drive irresponsibly.
I’ve seen youths in fast cars or fast bikes racing through the twistys, passing everybody, really moving. As you know a fast bike or car can get up to 110-120mph very quickly.
Then when they get to a village (say 30mph) they all slow down, cruise through the town, keeping a constant speed, not using the opportunity to catch the other guy and when they pass the “town ends here” sign, they hit the gas again. And there are no cops anywhere to be seen, and the kids know that.
Who teaches these kids that? A swarming army of cops enforcing artificially low limits? No. Nobody. It’s a result of them having the responsibility to decide themselves. And when speeds aren’t artificially low everywhere else, why go fast in a built up area? Even hormone high kids realise that.
That is so cool. Sometimes a bike will do a wheely down the main road, if he considers it safe. And it usually is. So cool. I had one do a wheely past me on the freeway. I was in the right lane of course, because it’s polite to pull over. I guess he thought my NSX was nice because he was looking at me as he went past. There was a cop in the freeway gas station, just standing there next to his car. He saw it. And he didn’t do anything. This is typical and not the first time I’ve seen something like this.
He probably smiled. He probably thought the motorcycle knew what he was doing. Since we were going about 90mph and surviving. This is a part of not having (read ‘enforcing’) artificially slow limits.
Also what is very cool is there are no speed limit signs on the freeways every 500 yards to tell you the artificially low limit, like a child, what you already know like some suffocating PITA parent. We are not children after all.
As you come into a country there is a sign with a picture of a village, a highway and a freeway. Each with a speed next to it.
That’s it.
So on the freeways, no more signs through the whole country. Imagine that.
Unless they have a slower limit around a corner or something. But then when the corner is finished there is a sign with that slower speed with a black line through it telling you the slower zone has finished. They don’t post the new speed because you should know that from when you came in the country (or took your driving classes way back when).
Also, many towns don’t even have a 50kph sign. They just have a “beginning of village” sign with the name of the village.
Since everybody knows the limit in a village is 50kph (31mph), why have a sign? And most of the time 50kph is not artificially low. These are towns and villages after all, we drive about 65kph (40mph)(that would be your 25-30mph zones in the States). If it’s slightly out of the built up area but still in a town its 90kph (56mph) which isn’t artificially slow. On these roads most people drive 80-100kph (50-60mph)(equivalent to your 45mph zones). Notice that’s partially slower than the limit. And there are no cops so it’s obviously voluntary. No annoyance there.
This, again, is the responsibility they leave to you. It’s for you to be responsible. There is no enforcement. So artificial limits don’t really exist and being annoyed is kept to a minimum.
I think it’s the better way and I certainly enjoy it. :smile:
Peter
(well that was fun. Dissertation and travel promotion finished now :smile: )
(but if you do come here, bring your friggen NSX!!. You can drive in the whole EU for 2 years on your plates and licence, no bond or importation or registration or lights modification or anything! :biggrin: )
(ok, travel promotion really finished now)
an NSX, Lotus Elise, Cosworth Sierra, Porsche 911, Lotus 7, and a Cosworth Escort. THAT was a laugh.
