The Montana experiment

[simpo two]

I hear from R4 that in Montana, the speed limit in the early 1990s was 55mph. For a reason that wasn't made clear, there followed four years with no posted limits. After that a limit of 75mph was introduced.

Regardless of the speed limit being 55, 75 or infinity, the fatality rate remained unchanged.

Also, in Montana people can start learning to drive on the roads at 14 and take their test at 15. There are 5,000 15-year olds on the road and of these 1,000 are involved in an accident in their first year driving.

I conclude that it's experience, not simple speed, that leads to accidents and fatalities.

[jeffreyarcher]

simpo two said:

I hear from R4 that in Montana, the speed limit in the early 1990s was 55mph. For a reason that wasn't made clear, there followed four years with no posted limits. After that a limit of 75mph was introduced. Regardless of the speed limit being 55, 75 or infinity, the fatality rate remained unchanged.

Usual BBC lies on the issue, the fatalities did change, but in a way they could not bring themselves to report.
The reason was down to politicians again, www.hwysafety.com/hwy_montana_2001.htm .

[mcspreader]

Yes its true.
After the abolition of the 55 Federal speed limit Montana enacted no speed legislation on Interstates only. They became a mecca(apologies to the islamic speedfreaks) for nutters in Hot Cars from all over who killed themselves with wonton abandon forcing the state to enact a speed limit. It was nice experiment but ultimately failed cos the US driving test isn't. It neither tests nor in any way simulates driving as we know it. Hence US road fatalities are huge despite empty roads in most of the country. I recall some magazine article at the time where they thrashed some fat yank 'sports'cars a bit. If anyone remembers who published it pray tell.

It all comes down to 'free speed needs free education on speed'. Well the colonials aren't educated so........

[simpo two]

Actually they did say that people from Montana coped OK with no speed limit; it was the speedfreaks from other states who regarded them as autobahns that caused the problem.
The BBC reporter dod have difficulty believing it. He said something like: 'But going at faster speeds, that's got to be more dangerous hasn't it?.

[Tafia]

jeffreyarcher said:

simpo two said: I hear from R4 that in Montana, the speed limit in the early 1990s was 55mph. For a reason that wasn't made clear, there followed four years with no posted limits. After that a limit of 75mph was introduced. Regardless of the speed limit being 55, 75 or infinity, the fatality rate remained unchanged. Usual BBC lies on the issue, the fatalities did change, but in a way they could not bring themselves to report. The reason was down to politicians again, www.hwysafety.com/hwy_montana_2001.htm .

I wrote to a local paper last December on this. Referring to a gent who misquoted Montana, part of letter reads:

He is also wrong about the ‘Montana Paradox’ as it is known. The facts are that in Montana, the national fixed speed limit was repealed in December 1995 and the state reverted to what is known as, “Reasonable and Prudent” speed limits, which Mr Williams mentioned. However, it was when these reasonable and prudent limits were again replaced with fixed national limits that fatalities began to rise.

Here is what the Montana data shows.

1. After the new Speed Limits were established, interstates fatal accidents went up 111%. From a modern low of 27 with no daytime limits, to a new high of 56 fatal accidents with speed limits.

2. On interstates and federal primary highways combined, Montana went from a modern low of 101 with no daytime limits, to a new high of 143 fatal accidents with speed limits.

Highways engineers will not be surprised by these results, as they know that the safest speed of travel is the 85th percentile, which is the speed which 85 pc of drivers would not exceed in the absence of a limit.