by Cami Villanueva, student editor
In January’s discussion on speed limits, we talked about the speeding complaints in our community; ways some communities faced this problem; and measures you can take to help solve speeding problems. Now, we’ll be diving into a more permanent solution: permanently kicking the speed limits down a few miles per hour.
For years, Oregon’s traffic speed rules used old research and limited local input. All speed limits were set using the “85th percentile rule,” meaning at the current speed 85% of drivers are using or under. As you all have seen, people tend to speed, forcing the official speed limit to be higher than what is safe. This 85th percentile rule has been targeted as the reason for the nation’s rising traffic death toll.