[IgorPartola]

Right. The real speed limit in VA is close to 80 mph (though you can get pulled over for doing less, presumably if "driving while black" [1]). So why aren't there signs that read "SPEED LIMIT 80"? Why is it up to the officer's discretion to decide if today it's 80, 78, 75, etc.? (I know why: federal government, funding, etc.)

I am in no way against speed limits being enforced, I just don't like the idea of them being set by the officer's mood and zeal on any given day. I'd rather know what the speed limit really is rather than trying to guess it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_While_Black

[CamperBob2]

Federal funding is no longer tied to speed enforcement. Highway speed limits are set artificially low because it's convenient and profitable for the police. (Given that statistics do not reliably support the usual contention that higher speed limits are more dangerous, the burden of proof falls on those who would argue otherwise.)

Maybe you're not speeding, but rest assured, there's some other attribute of your driving or your car's condition that will allow law enforcement to pull you over if they want. This isn't a coincidence. For better or worse, the police will tell you that they catch a lot of genuine bad actors this way.

It's not that they want to be able to stop everyone... it's that they want to be able to stop anyone.