In town, we have a construction zone on a stretch of highway where the posted speed limit is 65 MPH. Several months ago (and I do mean SEVERAL!), this section of highway was being expanded. The construction signs went up and so did the "new" speed limit. It went from 65 to 45 to 55 to 45, all within a few feet. Everyone on the roadway obeyed and there were times when one lane was closed down forcing all of the drivers to merge. I was amazed at the GREAT lengths cars would go to in an effort to avoid someone merging in front of them! When the roadwork finished, we all returned to our normal speed limit of 65, even though the construction signs were still posted. Clearly the roadwork is done! We have not seen a construction cone, worker, or paving truck within the past several months, but the "REDUCED SPEED AHEAD" signs are still there with the 65, 45, 55, and 45 MPH signs. I have tried to reduce my speed, but when I have cars that are passing me going 70 MPH, its hard. Or when I have cars speeding up to my van and then having to slam on their breaks because I am going a good 25 MPH UNDER what they are going, it becomes a little too scary!
This week our Sunday newspaper had an article about this specific stretch of highway. The writer of the article stated that even though there is NO current construction taking place, if the signs are posted the work is not complete and if you are caught speeding, you WILL get a ticket! Apparently there is a lot of paperwork that has to be processed before the construction signs can come down. I understand that! I understand that the work has to be processed and signed off on. The part that really bothers me is that I am trying my best to go the posted speed limit, but I honestly feel that I am putting my family in danger when I am going 25 MPH under what EVERYONE else on the roadway is going!!!
4 comments:
Not an offender, but I feel your pain. Traveling in the state of Texas is hard enough, but when I try to go the speed limit and others are whizzing by me, it it tough!!!
Hang in there!!!
~Elyse~
I've seen cars getting tickets there twice in the past two weeks!!! We go on this road for almost everything since it's about 4 ft from our house!! I try to slow down, at least to 50-55, but don't always go down to 45. At least it's not 5-10 miles!!! ;)
A more annoying place is on Old Mad Pike, in front of Bridge street. They marked it down to 25 for about a mile, I guess! It goes from 45-25, which is very annoying. I come back this way from the papers, and various other locations, every day. I am always afraid a cop-per is gonna be sitting pretty waiting for someone to zoom by!
On I-40 near the Mt Juliet/Provident exit the speed limit drops to 60 then to 50. IF I slow down to 50 I feel like I put myself in danger. Ethan says the manual says you gotta go with the flow...Well maybe so, but I doubt that would stop me from getting a ticket if a cop pulled me over!
When I was getting ready to go to driving school, my dad was training for his Commercial Drivers License (CDL). I helped him study a lot, and something I remember from back in the "driving school" days was this...maybe helpful...
(If in a construction zone, this doesn't count)
If a speed limit sign is white, it's the law. If it's yellow (like on a ramp or exit or curve or something) it's just advice for a safer speed. Yellow signs don't change the posted limit.
Just thought that might help if anyone's ever pulled over under a yellow sign limit.
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