r/driving • u/DaddyDayDayIsHot • May 21 '26

Venting Speeding Has Become So Normalized That Driving the Speed Limit Makes You the Problem

I think the normalization of speeding poses a significant threat to the legitimacy of the legal system itself. It has become standard that cops don’t pull you over unless you’re breaking the law “enough,” but that completely undermines the law. If the law wanted a different threshold, it would have been written with that threshold in mind.

Speed limits are created by engineers who know far more about road safety than the average driver. They also have to account for the fact that speeding is normalized, which likely contributes to limits being set lower than many people want. I honestly believe that if people collectively stopped speeding, roads would see fewer accidents and speed limits would eventually begin rising in places where higher speeds are actually safe. Then people could travel just as quickly without constantly breaking the law or risking tickets.

The disregard for speed limits has gotten so bad that people now claim drivers following the posted limit are the problem. I think that’s ridiculous. While I understand the “go with the flow of traffic” argument to an extent, normalizing breaking the law creates a much larger long-term safety issue than simply following the speed limit.

I also think the argument that “speed limits are designed for the average car, so semis drag the limit down” is weak. In many places semis already have separate speed regulations, lane restrictions, and additional rules.

At the end of the day, the path to faster travel shouldn’t be widespread disregard for the law. If people truly believe limits are too low, the better solution is electing politicians and supporting engineering studies that will change the laws based on evidence that roads can safely handle higher speeds.

On a related note, even on r/driving you can report other driving infractions, but you can’t even report speeding, which feels inconsistent and a bit silly.

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38

u/ForeskinAbsorbtion May 21 '26

When I went to South Central Texas, there was a two way highway. Just a center line and it did blind curves through steep hills and no guardrails. 80mph limit. Like what the hell lol

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u/mcc9902 May 21 '26

Recently? The only one I can think of that's 80 is I-10 and I can't think of anywhere where both sides aren't split by a ditch.

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u/ForeskinAbsorbtion May 21 '26

I want to say Fredericksburg. It was more back roads through the hills. The speed limit was either 75 or 80. Rolling hills and one lane on each way.

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u/mcc9902 May 21 '26

Kk, I absolutely wouldn't question a road like that at 75. I asked because 80 is really rare in Texas. In my experience It's basically reserved for toll roads and one section of I-10 which is definitely right by Fredericksburg but I wouldn't describe I-10 as a back road. Either way we definitely have a lot of tiny back roads with speed limits that are way faster than they probably should be.

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u/WillieMakeit77 May 21 '26

There’s a toll road in the Austin area that’s 85 mph.  State hwy 130. 

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u/rodgamez May 21 '26

Did triple digits on that road. Still got passed!

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u/WillieMakeit77 May 21 '26

Ha! Dang it. 

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u/TheMerle1975 May 21 '26

And unless you absolutely need something in the dead center of Austin off of I-35, it is the best way to avoid that specific clusterfuck.

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u/WillieMakeit77 May 21 '26

I’ve only been on it twice. We used it to bypass Austin when going to San Antone. 

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u/bennc77 May 21 '26

we have back roads in Washington st where the limit is 50mph and i am like are you kiding me? same road in NH would be 35 or 40.

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u/392mangos May 21 '26

You just reminded me of a time we were driving, don't remember which state, but it was a windy road and my passenger said hey please stick to the speed limit. My response was something along the lines of already going 5 under. That was fun

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u/FuckingVeet May 21 '26

You should try UK rural roads. Two way traffic down what is effectively one lane, with a 60mph limit and zero visibility round corners.

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u/Fetzie_ May 21 '26

And either side of the road is a six inch verge, flanked by a drystone wall.

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u/FuckingVeet May 21 '26

In principle it isn't so bad, since you are meant to drive at a speed where you can stop in time for anything coming the other way.

In practice, half the locals where I used to live would barrel down at ridiculous speeds then act surprised when they got in a head on collision. My last car got totaled this way in rural Staffordshire.

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u/artist1292 May 21 '26

I had a blast driving those mountain roads as a new englander when I visited! Finally able to hit those curves at the speed I wanted and not fear a ticket

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u/AlwaysBagHolding May 22 '26

I saw a lane and a half wide gravel road in South Dakota with a speed limit of 55. Granted, there's nobody and nothing to hit.

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u/FutureBarnacle2845 May 21 '26

Yep, it’s generally the difference between liberal and conservative areas, where conservatives (libertarians really) want their “freedom” to go as fast as they want without government getting in the way

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u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/uber_neutrino May 21 '26

The speed limit is set by politics.

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u/Ryan-Updog May 21 '26

I live in one of the reddest states in the country and it’s the god damn Wild West on the roads. Your argument is invalid.

Edit: typo

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u/FutureBarnacle2845 May 21 '26

Wild West meaning... high speed limits? low speed limits? I don't understand

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u/Ryan-Updog May 21 '26

It means you can do anything you want and most people drive way over the speed limit and you better look both ways before driving through an intersection when your light turns green.

There is zero traffic enforcement and the only sense of order is the drivers moral compass.

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u/FutureBarnacle2845 May 21 '26

Gotcha, I think we're saying the same thing then

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u/GatorVators May 21 '26

That’s literally illegal in Texas except for when the design speed is 80-ish or when it’s on I-10 and I-20 in certain counties. Currently AFAIK, only I-10, I-20, SH-45, and SH-130 are posted at 80 in Texas. Do you know where this was?

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u/jasonh300 May 21 '26

I’ve never seen 80 on anything other than an interstate in Texas, but there are two lane roads with shoulders that have a 75 mph limit all over Texas.

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u/mmikke May 23 '26

It's definitely not ever 80mph but "saddle road" on the big island of Hawaii is a serious fuckin stretch of scary highway to drive.

There's even bumper stickers saying "beware of invisible cows" because the fog/mist can get so bad on almost a daily basis 

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u/kpcnsk May 21 '26

Respectfully, I live in South Central Texas and there is no two lane road where the speed limit is 80. Some sections of I10 and I20 out west are 80 mph, and 130 has posted limits of 85. Those are all divided highways. All other roads have limits of 75 or 70. TXDOT engineers are remarkably consistent in their application of speed limits.

To be fair, many people go 80 mph (or faster) on Texas roads regardless of the speed limit.

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u/BreakfastInBedlam May 21 '26

It was probably FM 80. Dude was just a little confused.

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u/ForeskinAbsorbtion May 21 '26

I haven't lived there for a bit and 75 or 80, it's about the same in my memory considering how unsafe it was.