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Amsterdam: Speed limit will be 30 km/h on most roads from today (www.amsterdam.nl)

submitted 10 months ago by misk@sopuli.xyz to c/europe@feddit.de

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[–] troutsushi@feddit.de 50 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Loudly and visibly changing the rules doesn't "create offenders". Offenders aren't victims of changed rules.

It has been shown time and again that lowering speed limits in cities reduces traffic accidents and emissions at close to no costs to the flow of traffic.

My own city (in Germany, so it really was a heavily-criticized decision) lowered the speed limit on one of the major arterial roads to 30 kph. It is one I have to use regularly, and oh boy, let me tell you: I was soooo opposed to the change. Yet, it really only changed how fast you arrive at the next red light. There is literally no discernable change in how long it takes to pass that street, especially during rush hour. Traffic just got a little more fluid.

It is, however, the street with the most speeding tickets in town. I regularly see one or two mobile speed cameras along the way. And I've never been fined. You got to wonder...

[–] ShrimpsIsBugs@feddit.de 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Offenders aren't victims of changed rules.

I'd say they are, if the rules are shit. In this case though the rules are fine imo.

[–] Azzu@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I mean even if this speed limit was shit, it's not like speed limits in general are invisible and people don't know what happens if you break them. Every offense in this case is self-inflicted and not caused by the limit itself.

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It is, however, the street with the most speeding tickets in town.

Is it still built like a 50km/h street? If yes then there you have your answer.

[–] troutsushi@feddit.de 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What's your argument?

Streets in Europe are (with few exceptions) narrower than in the US. Is there a natural consequence for speed limits? Does it take some kind of special mental capacity to follow legal speed limits in streets that perceivably could be traversed faster?

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Does it take some kind of special mental capacity to follow legal speed limits in streets that perceivably could be traversed faster?

In fact yes it does you practically need to be a superhuman: Narrow streets feel unsafe and drivers automatically slow down. In the US speed limits, where they don't build streets according to the intended speed but much wider, are set to lower than what the engineers want you to drive at because they expect speeding.

US speed limits are also inconsistent, and the signs announcing them are practically invisible. Have a video.

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 10 months ago

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