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CLOUDY Temp: 43 °F Wind: ENE at 3 mph Tuesday, April 15, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 17, 2003 Since you asked Variety of factors determines speed limits I was hoping you could find out why the speed limit on a four-lane highway (Highway 62) is 45 mph, and the speed limit on a parallel road is 50 mph. The road is Table Rock Road from Antelope Road up to Four Corners. There are residences along Table Rock and a lot of side streets. Highway 62 is four lanes with mostly businesses along it and fewer side streets. It makes far more sense for the speed limit to be higher than on a two-lane road. — Sean V., White City A higher speed on a highway may seem like common sense to you, Sean. but Oregon Department of Transportation officials don’t see it the way you do. When assigning the speed limit to Highway 62, traffic investigators had to take into consideration the highway’s commercial development, large traffic volume, heavy congestion and accident history, said ODOT spokesman Terry Florence. In addition to these factors, officials rely on studies that show most drivers operate their vehicles at speeds that are "reasonable and prudent for the conditions around them," Florence said. A generally accepted national standard is that a speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers operate is a "fair and objective indication of a safe and reasonable speed." Studies show that there are fewer accidents when speed zones are established at or very near these speeds. Unrealistically lowering speed zones tends to anger and frustrate drivers and usually leads to more violations, unsafe driving habits and an increase in accidents, Florence said. As traffic conditions change over the years, there may be a need to review and reconsider speed zone levels, Florence said. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S