B.C. speed limit bump to 120 km/h - does faster = safer?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Are we sure the speed limit on Hwy 2 isn't 130?

I would say it's at least 140 by my estimation. I regularly do a 120 and drivers still pass me like i'm driving too slow.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Dion

I would say it's at least 140 by my estimation. I regularly do a 120 and drivers still pass me like i'm driving too slow.

120 is the right lane minimum 140 is the left lane minimum. I do not believe there is a maximum along that road

[Sluggo]

Anyone know what the deal is on Wednesdays? I set cruise at 120 and the only days where more people pass me than I pass others is on Wednesdays afternoon/evenings. Are the wings sales that good?

[indes]

Originally Posted by SebC

Can you elaborate on this? I typically find that 10 km/h over the yellow speeds is usually about as fast as I'd want to go, whereas the white speeds are just completely arbitrary.

As someone who drives HWY 3 lots I can tell you I can comfortably go 30km/h over any yellow sign with my 3/4 ton. In the Malibu I rented last week I could go 40-50 over no problem...also I should never buy a car.

EDIT: Also the speed limit of 100 is a joke on that road, dry pavement it should be at least 110 or 120. I've been setting my cruise at 119 for the better part of the drive from Castlegar to HWY 22 N and never feel its close to unsafe. Only ever got 1 speeding ticket in the last 8 years.

[nieuwy-89]

I was incredibly surprised this summer that I got my best fuel economy on the Coq doing 130 in 30 degree heat with the AC blasting. Totally counterintuitive but true.

[lazypucker]

On the Coq up on top of the mountains with wind you can go 160/170 without breaking a sweat.

[Winsor_Pilates]

That link is from 2014

[Northendzone]

I find it moderately interesting that so far there has been no mention of stoney trail.

I am more familiar with the south section from the old 22x to Deerfoot, but that is a road that just begs for people to do 140 on. Seems like way more speed enforcement on that road

[Sluggo]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I find it moderately interesting that so far there has been no mention of stoney trail.

I am more familiar with the south section from the old 22x to Deerfoot, but that is a road that just begs for people to do 140 on. Seems like way more speed enforcement on that road

The newer sections were designed for going 130, the city intentionally kept it at 100 when the lights were removed for rea$on$

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

The newer sections were designed for going 130, the city intentionally kept it at 100 when the lights were removed for rea$on$

Isn't Stoney the province's jurisdiction? Why would the city be setting speed limits?

[Ace]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

The newer sections were designed for going 130, the city intentionally kept it at 100 when the lights were removed for rea$on$

When they opened the NW portion they actually had 110 signs up. Lasted about 2 days and they were changed.

[CroFlames]

Montana and parts of Utah are 80mph which equals almost 130km/h. Which means you can drive 140km/h no problem. I love interstates.

[burn_this_city]

The speed limits on Stoney are a joke, particularly the south section where most people do 120+. Just a cash grab having the limit set to 100km/h.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by nieuwy-89

I was incredibly surprised this summer that I got my best fuel economy on the Coq doing 130 in 30 degree heat with the AC blasting. Totally counterintuitive but true.

Depends which way. W/B is mostly downhill, whereas E/B is mostly uphill.

[Stealth22]

The entire system, and the mentality of drivers in general, needs an overhaul. The whole idea that "speed kills" is ridiculous...just take a look at Germany. Granted, their licensing requirements are stringent, and Europeans have impeccable lane discipline, but still. It's the difference in speeds that's dangerous, not speed on its own. That, and on the Autobahn (and most Euro highways in general), the left lane is for passing, and nothing else, period.

Drivers here just don't get it, or they deliberately camp in the left lane and say "I'm going the speed limit, F off", when they're just as bad as people who fly down the highway going 160-170. And the cops don't care about people who obstruct traffic, or drive too slowly.

But a good start would be raising the limits, setting a minimum, and enforcing both, with zero tolerance.

The problem is, the politicians don't have the guts to bring in such changes, and there is a misguided sense among the population that 'speed kills'. People who oppose raising the speed limits simply argue that raising limits will "make speeders speed even more", or they believe that proponents of raising limits are all maniacs who just want to go faster, when the reality couldn't be further from the truth.

[polak]

Speed Limits on Stony and Highway 2 (outside of Cities) should be 140.

Ridiculous.

Straight, wide, divided roads with nothing to hit.

I feel like the rest of the world does what they can to get traffic moving as fast as possible while Alberta specifically just tries to make as much money off speeding tickets as possible.

How about instead of speeding tickets, make the left lane a 140 KM/H Minimum Zone and charge people $300 a year for a pass to be able to use it.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by polak

Speed Limits on Stony and Highway 2 (outside of Cities) should be 140.

My biggest gripe is the 90 km/h section through Banff park. They spend millions of dollars to put up fences and build animal crossings specifically to keep animals off the road, and then still keep the speed limit low for "safety". In all my years of driving through there I've never seen anything bigger than a squirrel on the other side of the fence. I've encountered way more wildlife driving on HWY 1 in BC, where there is no fence but the speed limit is still 100 or 110

[Stealth22]

Originally Posted by polak

How about instead of speeding tickets, make the left lane a 140 KM/H Minimum Zone and charge people $300 a year for a pass to be able to use it.

That would be awesome, lol. I've been wishing for a special license class that you have to pay to be trained for, pass an extremely difficult road test, and have to re-qualify every year. Upon passing said test, you would then be allowed to disregard speed limits on all highways.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Stealth22

The problem is, the politicians don't have the guts to bring in such changes, and there is a misguided sense among the population that 'speed kills'. People who oppose raising the speed limits simply argue that raising limits will "make speeders speed even more", or they believe that proponents of raising limits are all maniacs who just want to go faster, when the reality couldn't be further from the truth.

Speed limits aren't just about road and car design. They're about stopping speed and reacting to unforeseen threats on the road. Physics.

You're driving on Stoney. A car blindly changes lanes into a car in front of you (say 20m). That car in front of you slams on his brakes.

You will have less reaction time before you're on that breaking car at 140 km/hr than at 110 km/hr. A lot less. It may well be the difference between safely changing lanes to avoid the obstacle and ramming the car in front of you.

That's why speed limits exist. Physics.

[Mazrim]

I don't get where people keep saying Stoney was designed for 130 km/h. It's not, and there's plenty of online links to the contract documents that show otherwise. It's designed for 110 km/h, posted 100 km/h. Always has been, always will be. Anything you see or hear saying otherwise is incorrect.

The reason it feels so easy to speed? The government decided to make Stoney Trail "barrier-free", which means putting all hazards outside the designed "clear zone" area for 110 km/h. Generally speaking, this is 9 to 12 meters depending on the curvature of the road. They also added additional requirements for shoulder widths, horizontal and vertical curve design and sight distance designs that well exceeded the 110 km/h design criteria on normal projects.

So while this means the road is more forgiving to people who make mistakes on Stoney Trail, it also makes the road feel incredibly open and smooth, so we all feel it's too slow to "just" 110 in a 100.

Highway 1 and Highway 2 are designed for 130 km/h outside cities, and those are only the roads in Alberta designed to that speed.

Originally Posted by indes

EDIT: Also the speed limit of 100 is a joke on that road, dry pavement it should be at least 110 or 120. I've been setting my cruise at 119 for the better part of the drive from Castlegar to HWY 22 N and never feel its close to unsafe. Only ever got 1 speeding ticket in the last 8 years.

Highway 3 will always be 100 km/h unless they widen to a divided 4-lane highway. You will never see a 2-lane undivided road signed for over 100 km/h for many obvious reasons.

Congrats on not being caught speeding. Please stop tailgating me - I'm already doing 110.