Speed limits on gravel roads?

This question came up in a friend's letter to the editor in my hometown
newspaper. He had inquired with the state patrol about what the speed
limit was on county gravel roads; the response was that it's the same
as on the highways. The writer cited an incident in which someone was
flying down the gravel at at least 50 and hit a dog...and kept going,
right in front of witnesses.

I used to live on a gravel road, and anything faster than 35 on most of
them in northern Missouri is asking for trouble (dust, control loss).
Some locations, probably by county law, post a 35 speed limit. The
only gravel road I know of that has a posted speed limit higher than
that is AK 11 at 50.

I would imagine that enforcement would be rare as it would be under the
jusridiction of the sherriff's department.

morticide wrote: <brevity snip>
> The writer cited an incident in which someone was
> flying down the gravel at at least 50 and hit a dog...and kept going,
> right in front of witnesses.

Witnesses? Now *that's* ****in' funny.

Who had the ROW...?
-----

- gpsman

gpsman wrote:
> morticide wrote: <brevity snip>
> > The writer cited an incident in which someone was
> > flying down the gravel at at least 50 and hit a dog...and kept going,
> > right in front of witnesses.
>
> Witnesses? Now *that's* ****in' funny.
>
> Who had the ROW...?
> -----
>
> - gpsman

I had the dubious honor of being the county dispatcher trainer. Had
two newbies and decided to send them out on a tour of some county roads
for familiarization. They managed to run over a farmers dog right in
front of him. I should have taken the clue, they both turned out to be
total losses as dispatchers. One of them couldn't even name the
nearest crossroads to his house after 5 years (took that long to get
rid of them, civil serpent rules am hard).

Harry K

gpsman wrote:
> morticide wrote: <brevity snip>
>> The writer cited an incident in which someone was
>> flying down the gravel at at least 50 and hit a dog...and kept going,
>> right in front of witnesses.
>
> Witnesses? Now *that's* ****in' funny.
>
> Who had the ROW...?

Lucky it wasn't a kid hey.

> -----
>
> - gpsman
>


--

SL.


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On 7 Sep 2006 06:37:31 -0700, "morticide" > wrote:

>This question came up in a friend's letter to the editor in my hometown
>newspaper. He had inquired with the state patrol about what the speed
>limit was on county gravel roads; the response was that it's the same
>as on the highways. The writer cited an incident in which someone was
>flying down the gravel at at least 50 and hit a dog...and kept going,
>right in front of witnesses.

About the only good reason for stopping would have been to get the name of the
dog's owner, who let it run loose, so I could sue them for the damage to my car
from the collision. Maybe the local authorities might have something to say
about a cruelty to animals law, which has to have been violated by letting the
dog run loose near a road, where it was sure to get hit, sooner or later.

>I used to live on a gravel road, and anything faster than 35 on most of
>them in northern Missouri is asking for trouble (dust, control loss).
>Some locations, probably by county law, post a 35 speed limit. The
>only gravel road I know of that has a posted speed limit higher than
>that is AK 11 at 50.

35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're doing it
on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph. Anyone that can't do a (straight) gravel
road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education. Yeah,
there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but gravel is
only as dangerous as you make it.

Dave Head

>I would imagine that enforcement would be rare as it would be under the
>jusridiction of the sherriff's department.

In article >, Dave Head wrote:

> 35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're doing it
> on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph. Anyone that can't do a (straight) gravel
> road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education. Yeah,
> there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but gravel is
> only as dangerous as you make it.

My concern would be for my car's paint job....

"Brent P" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article >, Dave Head wrote:
>
>> 35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're
>> doing it
>> on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph. Anyone that can't do a (straight)
>> gravel
>> road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education.
>> Yeah,
>> there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but
>> gravel is
>> only as dangerous as you make it.
>
> My concern would be for my car's paint job....

Then your best strategy would be to speed up to get off the gravel road as
soon as possible. No matter how fast or slow you are going, traffic headed
the opposite direction WILL kick up rocks at you. So limit your
xposure. -Dave

On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:40:10 -0500, (Brent
P) wrote:

>In article >, Dave Head wrote:
>
>> 35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're doing it
>> on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph. Anyone that can't do a (straight) gravel
>> road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education. Yeah,
>> there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but gravel is
>> only as dangerous as you make it.
>
>My concern would be for my car's paint job....

Interestingly, the gravel just doesn't much seem to get to the paint. Bounces
around underneath a lot, tho, but my old Eclipse had very little problem, just
some abrasion on the body flareing in front of the rear wheels. I _did_ have
"mud" flaps on all 4 corners, tho.

Dave Head
>

Dave Head wrote: <brevity snip>

> About the only good reason for stopping would have been to get the name of the
> dog's owner, who let it run loose, so I could sue them for the damage to my car
> from the collision.

The dog owner probably never thunk of that...

> >I used to live on a gravel road, and anything faster than 35 on most of
> >them in northern Missouri is asking for trouble (dust, control loss).
> >Some locations, probably by county law, post a 35 speed limit. The
> >only gravel road I know of that has a posted speed limit higher than
> >that is AK 11 at 50.
>
> 35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're doing it
> on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph.

Those are race cars and race drivers, not really applicable. And after
a few cars it's more dirt than gravel on the driving line/s.

> Anyone that can't do a (straight) gravel
> road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education. Yeah,
> there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but gravel is
> only as dangerous as you make it.

Well, there's gravel roads and gravel roads. Sometimes there's little
gravel, sometimes there's a lot. Sometimes it's pea gravel, sometimes
it's crushed rock.

At about 35mph on lots of gravel is about where it can begin to be like
driving on ice. At my top speed on many gravel roads, 90mph, they all
seemed like ice. There wasn't any prize and 90 was all the excitement
I required.
-----

- gpsman

On 7 Sep 2006 07:53:50 -0700, "gpsman" > wrote:

>Dave Head wrote: <brevity snip>
>
>> About the only good reason for stopping would have been to get the name of the
>> dog's owner, who let it run loose, so I could sue them for the damage to my car
>> from the collision.
>
>The dog owner probably never thunk of that...

There's a lot of things people don't think of. In Rhode Island, night club
owners don't necessarily think of whether their remodeling will eventually
catch fire from a rock band's pyrotechnics, either... Its impossible to be so
smart that nothing bad will ever happen and in such a way that someone can't
fault you for it... A person's only chance of not getting sued or not going to
jail is basically never to do anything at all... <GGG>
>
>> >I used to live on a gravel road, and anything faster than 35 on most of
>> >them in northern Missouri is asking for trouble (dust, control loss).
>> >Some locations, probably by county law, post a 35 speed limit. The
>> >only gravel road I know of that has a posted speed limit higher than
>> >that is AK 11 at 50.
>>
>> 35? Gimmie a break. Ever see those WRC rallies on the TV? They're doing it
>> on gravel roads, and hitting 130 mph.
>
>Those are race cars and race drivers, not really applicable. And after
>a few cars it's more dirt than gravel on the driving line/s.

Yeah, it was just an example that it is _possible_ to drive gravel _very_ fast.
The rest of us who have any experience with loose surfaces should be able to do
55 on gravel fairly easily, tho.

>> Anyone that can't do a (straight) gravel
>> road at the 55 mph speed limit needs some further driver education. Yeah,
>> there's some twisty stuff that can be a challenge, even on paved, but gravel is
>> only as dangerous as you make it.
>
>Well, there's gravel roads and gravel roads. Sometimes there's little
>gravel, sometimes there's a lot. Sometimes it's pea gravel, sometimes
>it's crushed rock.

Yep - and some of it can be really exciting, espcially if the gravel is fairly
deep!

>At about 35mph on lots of gravel is about where it can begin to be like
>driving on ice. At my top speed on many gravel roads, 90mph, they all
>seemed like ice. There wasn't any prize and 90 was all the excitement
>I required.

Yep, it can get exciting alright. Don't recall any gravel roads that were like
ice at 35... but I'll keep tryin' em' out! <G>

Dave Head


>- gpsman