For the last year or so, when I drive, I’ve been driving the speed limit most places, but always on Newton streets. I have some experiences to share, but first a group activity for our readers: over the next few days, drive the speed limit. Not within five miles or whatever you calculate is slow enough to avoid a ticket. At the speed limit. On streets like Walnut Street (25 MPH south of Comm. Ave.), Dedham, Washington, Watertown, Centre, not just quiet residential streets. At all different times of the day. When there is light, moderate, and heavy traffic.
I’ll post something in a week or so to follow up. Comment here or on that post about your experiences.
I like this exercise. I haven’t undertaken it fully yet (but will give it a shot).
On off-ramp of Exit 12 from the Pike this week, I was trying to slow down to the posted 25mph speed limit- slowly. As I got below 35, I could see the fellow behind me, who was already tailgating, getting agitated. In fact, he tried to pass me near the end of the “one-lane) ramp, and I was still going at least 30 mph there.
I’m not sure this is the kind of story you are looking for, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen more.
Another thing: on the highway (my Pike commute, at least), I stick to the 65 mph speed limit (my reverse commute means I am not stuck in slow traffic). Not so much because I think going 70-75 is immoral or wrong, but because I find that I get much better gas mileage at the lower speed (I don’t know the exact amount, but I have seen estimates that fuel economy drops at 60 mph, and can drop over 20% at 75 mph), and it only costs me about 2 minutes on my commute to do so.
I’ll definitely share any experiences I have around Newton over the next week
Oh, so it was you who was holding me up.
I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this whole 25MPH thing is dumb. 25 MPH is not a comfortable speed to drive at under pretty much any conditions. I think the tailgating and road rage that results will cause more harm than whatever problem they were trying to solve (probably just an excuse to increase ticketing).
Of course, they’ll never change it, because “theenk of the cheeeldren”
No, you are not the only one who thing this is dumb. Then again, this is the City Council we are talking about. I think their motto is “Dumb By Default.”
@Eric–Yuppie and Elmo– Do you seriously think it’s okay for people to drive faster than 25mph on side streets? Or to enter a village center at speeds greater than 25mph? Setting aside any increased likelihood of accidents, it’s rude and intimidating to speed through neighborhoods and village centers. What’s the hurry?
Well, now I know the types of people who tailgate me when I go between 25 and 30 MPH in a 25 MPH zone. (Elmo & Yuppie Scum) Enjoy the view of the back of my car, jerks.
Depends on the street.
Village centers, my preference would be to use traffic calming methods such as raised crosswalks and bumpouts. They are effective for pedestrian safety and aesthetically pleasing.
I guess I would be less upset if the posted speed limits were more reasonable on some of the major roads.
I live on a side street that has been posted 25MPH for years. It is a cut through between two major streets. The only people who go 25MPH are those who live on the street. It is a joke. The school bus that comes down the street in the morning seems to think so as well. I need to confess that there are times that I have found myself creeping over the posted speed.
I guess I am among those annoying people driving a safe speed. I started doing this more than 10 years ago when I realized how much more pleasant it was to drive slower. I find that I get places just fine. For example, on Monday I had the experience of driving east on Washington from Chestnut to Church. A driver who was tailing me for a few blocks took the opportunity to speed ahead of me. Despite me going 25 and him speeding, we met up at each light. All the way until I turned off on Church St. This is what research by professional engineers shows that in dense urban areas like Newton having vehicles travel safe, steady speeds results in similar trip times to letting cars speed and then wait at lights. Add this to the the indisputable facts that driving slower reduces crashes for all cars, bikes, peds (google CONE OF VISION DRIVING SPEED) and saves gasoline. Why 25mph? Because 25mph significantly reduces the chance of death for pedestrians if they are hit by a driver. Don’t we want people to be safer? And if people feel safer, they will walk more and that will be one less car in front of you when you are driving down the road. A virtuous circle :0)
Yuppie Scum! Yes. Posted speed limit is just a suggestion until roads are designed so cars go a safe speed. Other countries do a MUCH BETTER JOB than the US in this regard If only we could get people to realize the cost of not making these changes. Almost 40,000 people were killed and nearly 5 million people injured on US roads in 2015 at a likely cost of nearly $1 trillion in economic loss and societal harm (trending forward from cost of deaths in 2014).
At a parent conference, a teacher once told me that my young son never rushed to the front of the line when they left the classroom to go to another class . She thought it was odd that he was fine with being at the end of the line. When I asked my son about it, he was very clear – “I don’t get it. We all end up in the same place whether you’re at the front of the line or the end.” I think of that story often when someone behind me is clearly annoyed at my slow driving. So what’s the big deal? You arrive at your destination 30 seconds before I do? Just try it. Slow down. I doubt it’s going to change your life and maybe everyone else will be a bit safer.
Note to speeders. The solution to all this is really quite simple. Give yourself an extra 10 minutes or so to get to your destination.
I added a new post about one reason to lower the speed limit.
I watched as a white Pontiac minivan was going 25 on Centre St today in the Highlands and was tailgated so vigorously, it had to pull over. I kept to 25, which was slow, but not unbearable. I had a few followers on my tail as well.
It may take a while to get used to.
I have regularly done this on Quinobequin Road for some time. THe posted limits on the road change from 30 to 35 to 25 at various points, and there are very good reasons for this – the road curves a great deal, rises and falls, narrows… There are a lot of blind areas.
However, there are also a lot of people who use the road as a shortcut instead of 128. I always happily lead my own little parade when driving the limit on Quinobequin.
When you actually go the posted speed limit, what happens is that you have more perception-reaction time to deal with a sudden emergency – like a child or an animal darting in front of you, or an oncoming driver turning into your path. Slower speed = more time to perceive; more time to perceive = more time to react; and more time to react = less collisions.