There's more than enough science showing that the mean average will be the safest speed expected for the road, regardless of the posted speed limit.
Editorial: It’s time for Canada to increase highway speed limits
Just a quick Google:
Quote:
These changes have been met with predictable complaints from the RCMP and the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, who claim that higher speeds will lead to more accidents, as well as from environmental groups outraged about increased pollution. In truth, there should be no appreciable impact on safety or the environment. The changes will simply allow people to get where they’re going in a lawful and timely manner.
There’s ample evidence going back many decades that proves most drivers pick their travel speed based on driving conditions and road characteristics, rather than posted limits. Dropping maximum speeds in an effort to make roads safer has little impact on how people actually drive. A U.S. government report on the topic concluded: “The majority of motorists do not alter their speeds to conform to speed limits they perceive as unreasonable for prevailing conditions.” By the same token, raising limits doesn’t produce faster average speeds; it merely makes lawful what is already common behaviour. (When B.C. raised the speed limit on Highway 1 at Tappen, near Shuswap Lake, by 10 km/h in 2006, the average driver’s speed didn’t change.)
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Examples around town: Torbay road, where "everyone" does 60-70 despite it being 50. The ORR where on a nice day the average speed is 110-115, despite being 100. Torbay Bypass despite being 70 most everyone does 90.
There's zero science to show that when the posted speed limit is raised to match the mean average of a roadway drivers will A) go faster again (i.e. raising ORR to 110 doesn't mean ppl will do 120) and B) accidents will increase, they don't.
In fact, in the studies I've seen show that when the posted speed limit is raised to match the mean average — the speed limit driven most commonly by the largest number of drivers — accident rates decrease and speeding tickets decrease, as well as other infractions decrease.
The thinking is that the higher speed limit allowance which more accurately matches the possibilities of the roadway encourages drivers to pay more attention AND you don't have the mismatch so common here on our highways. The ORR for example, as I said most do 110~... now add someone doing 90-100 into that mix and that is where the risk raises dramatically. A slow car on the highway is far more dangerous that someone driving 10kmh faster than the average. They're legally allowed to do 100 but with the mean average of speed is 110, 100 is very dangerous.
Slow Ride: the dangers of driving too slowly
Also, my opinion is that there's no reason for the new highway to be anything other than 100. It's absolutely no different from the ORR and imo it's a better highway given the hard divider, larger paved shoulder, and lights. It seems very odd for it to be not 100.
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