Rose Hammond campaigned for lower speed limits on Mitchaw Road, which serves a community center, schools, and a park. Following public pressure, local authorities analyzed the road's speed limit, concluding it is actually 5 mph too low based on historical studies. These studies underpin the 85% rule, which suggests that speed limits should align with the speed of the 15th-fastest vehicle in free-flowing traffic. Some states are reconsidering this rule to better reflect urban driving conditions and reduce speeding-related risks.
Amid growing public pressure, Sylvania Township asked county engineers in March to analyze whether Mitchaw Road's posted speed is too high. The surprising answer: Technically, it's 5 mph too low.
The concept assumes that a road's safest speed is the one most vehicles travel - neither too high nor too low. If drivers think the speed limit should be raised, they can simply step on the gas and "vote with their feet."
The problem with this approach is it creates this feedback loop. People speed, and then the speed limits will be ratcheted up to match that speed.
The association developed an alternative to the 85% rule known as "City Limits," which aims to better align speed limits with the needs of urban areas.
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