Hi!
OT: dissolution of auto industryJust thinking out loud here... with all the threads on the impending failure of various US auto mfgrs. it prompts the question, is there really a future in the automotive market? Really...
Nate Nagel
They're not exactly a new feature on some German Autobahns.
It's not completely unnecessary, but actually really quite helpful, because it goes much further than that. If there's a traffic jam in Hannover, the speed limit on the A2 westbound lanes might be reduced as far east as Lehrte, some dozen kilometres before the traffic jam actually comes into view. This not only reduces the chance of some moron plowing into the standing traffic at 100+ mph, but also (and more importantly) reduces the number of vehicles per time unit that add to the traffic jam, and hence gives it a chance to dissolve.
OT: dissolution of auto industryAmerican car manufacturers would LOVE to produce and sell fewer vehicles, but they cannot. You see, their workers have these really sweet...
Likewise, the variable speed limits offer ways to slow down traffic in front of building sites, accidents, etc, long before they come into view and without having to place signs manually. Or slow down heavier traffic (they usually say "no speed limit" at night, and "120 kph" at daytime, but can go down all the way to 60 kph if it's needed), or prohibit trucks from overtaking, or warn of sudden fog, and so on. IMHO, they really only have one disadvantage: they're not exactly cheap.
Correct. But if you could look a couple dozen miles ahead, wouldn't you like to? These signs can and do.
Yours, Erik. -- "He wears makeup and has a girl's name, how original!" -- Alice Cooper on Marilyn Manson
