85 MPH: Texas considers highest speed limit in nation

http://www.drudgereport.com

So, what's 85 MPH? I spent ten months at Fort Hood in 1965.Back then (if
I am not mistaken) you could drive as fast as your car could go on the
wide open stretches, and many people did.Montana too.
cuhulin

wrote:
>
> http://www.drudgereport.com
>
> So, what's 85 MPH? I spent ten months at Fort Hood in 1965.Back then (if
> I am not mistaken) you could drive as fast as your car could go on the
> wide open stretches, and many people did.Montana too.
> cuhulin

Yep. The people who freak out about talk of 80 or 85 MPH speed limits
have never left their little city cages where speeds rarely get over 40
MPH. The areas where these speed limits exist are stereotypical desert
highways, flat, straight and wide, and with terrain off the road that is
equally flat and obstacle free. When you drive 85 MPH on them it feels
like you're barely moving.

On 2011-04-11, Pete C. > wrote:
>
> wrote:
>>
>> http://www.drudgereport.com
>>
>> So, what's 85 MPH? I spent ten months at Fort Hood in 1965.Back then (if
>> I am not mistaken) you could drive as fast as your car could go on the
>> wide open stretches, and many people did.Montana too.
>> cuhulin
>
> Yep. The people who freak out about talk of 80 or 85 MPH speed limits
> have never left their little city cages where speeds rarely get over 40
> MPH.

80-85mph is common on chicago area interstates and limited access
highways. Except speed limits are 45-55mph and as of jan-1,2011 30 over
carries jail time. The people who "freak out" are control freaks or
other forms of people who think everyone else should do as they do. Such
people may live anywhere.

> The areas where these speed limits exist are stereotypical desert
> highways, flat, straight and wide, and with terrain off the road that is
> equally flat and obstacle free. When you drive 85 MPH on them it feels
> like you're barely moving.

Most rural interstate in the USA should have no speed restriction.

"Brent" > wrote in message ne

> Most rural interstate in the USA should have no speed restriction.

We have some pretty good highways in Texas, and a lot of them could
support higher speeds with no problem.

Trying to cross this state in a day, or even two days depending on
the route, can be hard.

If you have ever driven on Houston's beltway 8, you may have
seen people driving 90 mph or more. It isn't legal, but is not as
enforced as it could, or perhaps should, be. People seem to have
the attitude that if we have to pay to use this tollroad, we should
be able to drive any speed we wish.

If we are going to be allowed to drive at near autobahn speeds,
we will probably have to tighten up the safety inspections. I am
afraid there are places you can still pay your $15 and get a safety
sticker on a deathtrap.

On 2011-04-11, hls > wrote:
>
> "Brent" > wrote in message ne
>
>> Most rural interstate in the USA should have no speed restriction.
>
> We have some pretty good highways in Texas, and a lot of them could
> support higher speeds with no problem.
>
> Trying to cross this state in a day, or even two days depending on
> the route, can be hard.
>
> If you have ever driven on Houston's beltway 8, you may have
> seen people driving 90 mph or more. It isn't legal, but is not as
> enforced as it could, or perhaps should, be. People seem to have
> the attitude that if we have to pay to use this tollroad, we should
> be able to drive any speed we wish.
>
> If we are going to be allowed to drive at near autobahn speeds,
> we will probably have to tighten up the safety inspections. I am
> afraid there are places you can still pay your $15 and get a safety
> sticker on a deathtrap.

I've never seen a deathtrap vehicle doing much more than the posted
55mph and usually lower. They are pretty much self limiting due to self
preservation of the driver.

"hls" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Brent" > wrote in message ne
>
>> Most rural interstate in the USA should have no speed restriction.
>
> We have some pretty good highways in Texas, and a lot of them could
> support higher speeds with no problem.
>
> Trying to cross this state in a day, or even two days depending on
> the route, can be hard.
>
> If you have ever driven on Houston's beltway 8, you may have seen people
> driving 90 mph or more. It isn't legal, but is not as
> enforced as it could, or perhaps should, be. People seem to have
> the attitude that if we have to pay to use this tollroad, we should
> be able to drive any speed we wish.
> If we are going to be allowed to drive at near autobahn speeds,
> we will probably have to tighten up the safety inspections. I am
> afraid there are places you can still pay your $15 and get a safety
> sticker on a deathtrap.

"Unsafe" vehicles have NEVER been seriously considered as a
significant proximate cause of vehicle accidents or fatalities. "Safety
inspections" are, and always have been, about revenue production.

"Brent" > wrote in message >
> I've never seen a deathtrap vehicle doing much more than the posted
> 55mph and usually lower. They are pretty much self limiting due to self
> preservation of the driver.


Not at all, Brent.. People speed on unfit tires, for example, all the time.

"That Tune" > wrote in message >
> "Unsafe" vehicles have NEVER been seriously considered as a
> significant proximate cause of vehicle accidents or fatalities. "Safety
> inspections" are, and always have been, about revenue production.

Unfortunately, the inspections are more as sources of revenue than
anything else. In Germany, and in Europe in general, inspections are
a bit tougher than here. They are meant to be a deterrent to operating
a vehicle which is not fit for the road. In some cases, at least, your
insurance may not cover you if your vehicle is not properly maintained
and outfitted.

Probably mechanical failures here are a rather minor part of the cause
of accidents. Around here, a lot of accidents are caused by driver
inattention and excessive speeds on roads which are not intended for such
use (farm to market roads). Alcohol also is involved in a percentage
of them.

I have seen some online UK used cars ads before.Used vehicles for sale,
usually they mention the vehicle has been MOTd.I reckon that means the
used vehicle has recently been inspected and is ready for the road.
cuhulin

On 2011-04-11, hls > wrote:
>
> "Brent" > wrote in message >
>> I've never seen a deathtrap vehicle doing much more than the posted
>> 55mph and usually lower. They are pretty much self limiting due to self
>> preservation of the driver.
>
>
> Not at all, Brent.. People speed on unfit tires, for example, all the time.

And yet equipment related collisions last I heard are around 2% of all
collisions.

Government inspections are like government anything they are about power
and the shakedown (for revenue) or the revenue for businesses that lobby
for it.