Re: Police Officers, please skip this thread
You know, you touched on a side issue that has always made me shake my head, big rigs and speed limits. No one will ever convince me a 80,000 lb truck is safer at 70 than I am in my car at 100. I can out stop, corner, and accelerate him by at least a factor of 5 times. It irks me that the speed limit is the same for both of us. (Ok, just my rant...)
Rant noted and now I'll rant with my disagreement
Differing speed limits on open interstates have nothing to do with with stopping, cornering or acceleration and no one would compare a big truck with a sports car. These limits were based on a bad idea ( the "P" word), that for most states who have wised up, is finally going away.
Split speed limits between trucks and cars on interstates, causes more accidents, not less.
Slow trucks, trying to pass other slower trucks, blocks the passing lane for passenger cars, who are driving 10-15+ MPH, faster than the trucks. Cars may not slow down in time and rear-end the truck, or leave the road to avoid a collision. Passenger cars also get impatient with the slower trucks and start weaving, or passing trucks on the right, at higher speed. Real safe.
Since the idiots running the roads in OH and IL (among other states) have finally wised up and set the speed limits the same for cars/trucks (on limited access interstates anyway), there are less accidents and traffic, especially heavy traffic, flows much better. There is a noticable difference where they are not the same.
In KY an WV, where both trucks and cars can drive 70MPH, traffic moves along very good and trucks don't block the passing lanes nearly as much, for passenger cars who want to go faster, since most trucks (including mine) are pretty happy at 70MPH.
IN Improved things by change car/truck from 65/55 to 70/65. They will really have their act together when it is 70/70.
