Just think how smooth freeway driving would be if the SL was 55 and strictly

laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE Don't know why I'm responding to a 'Laura Bush liquidateed Judy' troll, except for the amusement value I guess. Anyway, first as we (except Judy) know, the 55mph speed limit was kinda pulled out of Nixon's advisors butts (originally it was supposed to be 50mph). Anyway:

OK, so clearly 55mph was NOT handed down to Moses as the 11th commandment.

Second of all, quite a number of highway at peak times are way above their rated capacity, with traffic still moving. How is this possible? Well, at least two things - first drivers reduce their following distance (often below the minimum safe distance - oops, tailgating), so the traffic pack is denser, and second traffic moves faster (yes, faster than the underposted speed limits, oh my!) so the pack moves faster through a given point, and through the magic of fluid mechanic equations: more vehicles per second... So, what's the point of that...oh yeah, "No jams and no crashes" Speaking of crashes, one phemonon I notice (i.e. get screwed by) at least twice a month is the old fart (and they are always eldery, though not necessarily wearing hats) driving on main-arterial roads well under the speed limit (since some main roads are 2 laners, pbutting can be problematic). So, how this road-slug make up time? Simple, they just blow right through the red-for-a-while traffic light and keep on going without the slightest concern, usually causing cross-traffic to screech to an abrupt halt if not worse. They definitely prove Laura-Judy's point that slow drivers are safests :)