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by aidenn0 2086 days ago
Up until around 1990 or so 55MPH was the maximum speed limit; this was originally to conserve fuel. Up until 1995 55MPH was the maximum except for roads very far from population centers.

Even after 1995, many states were very slow to raise the speed limit (I lived near the Maryland/Virginia boarder and remember Maryland did well before Virginia), and when they did raise the speed limit it was by small amounts.

Today, you can drive from Los Angeles to New York and not hit any significant stretches of freeway with speedlimits under 65, and west of the Mississipi river, you will spend most of it at 70mph or higher.

On top of that, the actual speed that will get you pulled over can be much higher (In CA you are very unlikely to get pulled over for single-digit MPH speeding on a freeway, making a 65 speed limit a de-facto 74; in the northeast US it's not uncommon to get pulled over for going just 5MPH over the posted limit).
2 comments
u801e 2085 days ago
> Up until around 1990 or so 55MPH was the maximum speed limit

The NMSL (National Maximum Speed Limit) was enacted in 1973, modified in 1987 to allow 65 mph speed limits on rural interstates, and repealed in 1995.

Many states in the southeast, midwest and west raised their posted speed limits very soon after the NMSL was repealed. States in the northeast took a bit longer to update their laws to remove their state maximum speed limit.

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simcup 2086 days ago
chuckles in german

Edit: to add value to the conversation: in germany I find googles estimates on long car trips quite accurate. And I'm actually a very erratic driver, sometimes taking every hole in traffic I can to get ahead, just slowing down to speed limit+20km/h where there is a speed trap, sometimes just cruising 80km/h on open autobahn getting overtaken by cargo trucks

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aidenn0 2086 days ago
> chuckles in german

FWIW, Advisory speed-limits on autobahn are similar to the western US statutory speed limits (130km/h == 80mi/h). That being said, 200km/h and no other moving violations would quite possibly get you thrown in jail in "The land of the free"

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