What are Reasonable Speed Limits? 

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Samuel C. Tignor and Davey Warren. "Driver Speed Behavior on U.S. Streets and Highways." Institute of Transportation Engineers: 1990 Compendium of Technical Papers, 1990 August, p. 86.
"... on average current speed limits are set too low to be accepted as reasonable by the vast majority of drivers. ... The posted speeds make technical violators out of motorists driving at reasonable and safe speeds."

Martin R. Parker. "Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed Limits: Final Report." U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 1992 October, p. 53.
"Where speed limits were lowered... There were no changes in the high-speed drivers (99th percentile)."

"At sites where speed limits were raised, ... there was a small decrease in the 99th percentile speed."

Martin R. Parker. "Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed Limits: Final Report." U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 1992 October, p. 55.
"... the majority of motorists do not alter their speed to conform to speed limits the perceive as unreasonable for prevailing conditions.... when compliance improved after speed limits were raised, accidents tended to decrease."

"One commonly cited reason for posting unreasonably low speed limits is public and political pressure."

P. E. Spitz. "Speed vs Speed Limits in California Cities." ITE Journal, 54.5 (1984 May), p. 45.
"Most drivers will operate vehicles at speeds they feel are reasonable and appropriate for the conditions and posting any different speed limit will have little or no effect. So the idea of applying 'common sense' to speed limits makes lots of sense, provided the common sense refers to what people do instead of what they would like others to do."

Gerald L. Ullman and Conrad L. Dudek. "Effects of Reduced Speed Limits in Rapidly Developing Urban Fringe Areas (Abridgment)." Transportation Research Record, 1114 (1987), p. 45.
"... lower speed zones were not effective in improving safety at [rapidly developing urban fringe areas]"

Rev: 1998.09.29