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The Wrong Way to Set Speed Limits [ST06]

Not Just Bikes · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Transit, cities & urban planning

What it is

Not Just Bikes explains how North American speed limits are set and why posted limits matter far less than street design. It argues that drivers follow the road's cues, so safe speeds have to be built into the street.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended again and again in traffic-safety threads as an eye-opener on road design versus posted limits and driver behavior.

  • 9 people recommended it
  • 9 different months
  • 4 strong recommendations
  • first 2021, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “that profoundly affected my opinion on this stuff.”

    Profoundly changed commenter's view of speed limits and road design

    gregmac, 2022-03 · Strong recommendation · in “New speed camera ‘detect’ vehicles braking as they approach”

  2. “it really opened my eyes on the relationship between rules and actual behavior.”

    Opened commenter's eyes on rules versus actual driving behavior

    noirdujour, 2023-01 · Strong recommendation · in “America’s roads and highways have a big, fat style guide”

  3. “Great video on this at”

    Great video on US street speed limits and deaths

    CalRobert, 2024-05 · Strong recommendation · in “California Senate Passes Bill Requiring Passive Speed Limiters”

  4. “Our roads should be designed with human error in mind.”

    Road design should slow drivers naturally, not rely on signs

    xputer, 2021-10 · Recommendation · in “Car accidents cause death, injury and trauma. Why do we shrug them off?”

  5. “Relevant Not Just Bikes-video on the subject”

    Relevant video on why people ignore speed limits

    occz, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “Heavier cars are safer for their drivers, but far deadlier for everyone else”

  6. “Not Just Bikes has a great video covering this”

    Speed limits barely change speeds; road design does

    ben-schaaf, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “Heavier cars are safer for their drivers, but far deadlier for everyone else”

  7. “goes into detail on this”

    Drivers follow road design cues, not posted limits

    YawningAngel, 2022-10 · Recommendation · in “Even after $100B, self-driving cars are going nowhere”

  8. “Not Just Bikes on YouTube covers road/pedestrian/bike safety extensively.”

    Channel covers road, pedestrian and bike safety extensively

    gcanyon, 2022-11 · Recommendation · in “The Exceptionally American Problem of Rising Roadway Deaths”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: speed limits, traffic engineering, urban planning, road safety, netherlands

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