40mph residential speed limit strictly enforced
The constitutional right to drive like an a55 irregardless of the potential harm to others as long as you have insurance has hit home, the street where you live.The right to exceed the speed limit, if there is such a right, might make some sense on interstate highways and expressways but it has no place on public streets used by cyclists and walkers, yet police districts are saying that they will not ticket anyone that is going less then 15mph over the speed limit no mater where, expressway or residential street.
This 15mph speed difference when applied to a 25mph residential road turns the likelihood of a pedestrian or cyclists surviving a crash with a motor vehicle from favorable outcome to a very likely unfavorable outcome. This apparently is acceptable because it is "just an accident" when someone purposefully depresses the accelerator and drives too fast for conditions or the posted speed limit.
After our presentation at the Bicycle Symposium (<a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20080205223929495">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20080205223929495</a>; ) we are getting feedback from people who are inquiring about speed limit enforcement in their neighborhood and getting very disappointing answers.
Maryland is in the top ten highest ratio of bicycle and pedestrian traffic fatalities, in Baltimore City 39% of traffic fatalities involve a cyclists or pedestrian. Studies have shown when you enforce traffic laws, crime also goes down. Addressing two major issues with one simple action? Nah, too simple, not sexy enough, we need to reinvent the wheel. Sorry but no, enforcing the law, works, period.
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