Speed limits and EVs

[brianman]

I made an open-ended statement without recommendations. You can measure the gap going downwards with the fastest car as the baseline (as in the above example) or you can measure it going upwards using the slowest car as the baseline (e.g. - speed limits). It should be noted that some expressways already have minimum speed postings. Anyway, I leave the making of recommendations to those so inclined.

If the argument held, we'd have such minimum speed limits posted on our freeways (and be enforced) but we do not.

Walk with me a bit...

Suppose we had the 80EV/70/60Truck limits (i.e. adding the 80EV). Now picture the hypermilers tooling along at 30mph to improve range.

Now imagine you're a politician and you want to address the 50mph spread of speeds. What do you do? Well, you might do exactly what I hinted at (and that would suck, IMO). Or you could look to find a way to motivate (incentivize is better than punish) car manufacturers to remove the reasons why people have to hypermile in the first place -- namely reduce high-speed efficiency penalties (aerodynamics) and increase vehicle range (larger batteries).

 

[rlang59]

Yes we should, and in fact most states have a law on the books that says something to the tune of ". No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. " Here is the one from NJ for example:
www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/speedlaws501/toc/njspeed.pdf‎

So we should ban cars that are going 30 under the speed limit because they present a hazard? Like hypermilers doing 40 in a 70mph zone?

 

[deonb]

I would agree. A few years ago, I read an article that listed factors contributing to accidents. One of them was speed differential - the gap between the fastest and slowest cars on the highway. Another way of putting it would be to say that slow drivers may not be involved in accidents, but they cause accidents.

But the argument can also be made that since EV's are safer, the survivability in it is also higher. You most likely have a higher chance surviving a 80mph crash in a Model S than a 70mph crash in a BMW M5.

Besides, EV's have a practical maximum speed. Changing the speed limit from 70 to 80 won't affect the speed at which I'm driving. It just changes whether or not I get pulled occasionally...

 

[brianman]

Besides, EV's have a practical maximum speed. Changing the speed limit from 70 to 80 won't affect the speed at which I'm driving. It just changes whether or not I get pulled occasionally...

It would for me. I'd switch from 75-77 to 85-90.

 

[Raffy.Roma]

But the argument can also be made that since EV's are safer, the survivability in it is also higher. You most likely have a higher chance surviving a 80mph crash in a Model S than a 70mph crash in a BMW M5.

This is a very good point which maybe could convince safety-focused bureaucrats who set speed limits.

 

[dsm363]

The problem is voters. You have maybe 100 times more ICE drivers who would greatly oppose such an effort and likely vote out anyone who passed something like this. Like the idea though.

 

[Raffy.Roma]

The problem is voters. You have maybe 100 times more ICE drivers who would greatly oppose such an effort and likely vote out anyone who passed something like this. Like the idea though.

But we must address our request to enlightened politicians understanding the importance of driving pure electric. A higher speed limit for EV could be an incentive to get an EV like other incentives for EVs.

 

[richkae]

But the argument can also be made that since EV's are safer, the survivability in it is also higher. You most likely have a higher chance surviving a 80mph crash in a Model S than a 70mph crash in a BMW M5.

Besides, EV's have a practical maximum speed. Changing the speed limit from 70 to 80 won't affect the speed at which I'm driving. It just changes whether or not I get pulled occasionally...

The fact that an EV is safer doesn't do anything to help the people in the other vehicle(s) involved in the crash.

 

[brianman]

The fact that an EV is safer doesn't do anything to help the people in the other vehicle(s) involved in the crash.

Not directly, but indirectly...

For example, I'm pretty sure some "safety first" buyers are eyeing these "Tesla demolishes whatever it touches" reports when buying a new car. In the extreme, if only Model S buyers survive the "high speed apocalypse" wouldn't that be a form of natural selection? All the "other vehicles" would be Model S as well.

 

[caddieo]

Yes we should, and in fact most states have a law on the books that says something to the tune of ". No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. " Here is the one from NJ for example:
www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/speedlaws501/toc/njspeed.pdf‎

This was what I was alluding to when I mentioned minimum speeds on expressways in post #20.

 

[mknox]

Another way of putting it would be to say that slow drivers may not be involved in accidents, but they cause accidents.

I always hate it when I hear it put this way. If someone is driving legally between the minimum and maximum speed limits and someone driving faster (often illegally, above the maximum limit), why is it the slower driver's fault?