States have the responsibility for setting the appropriate speed limit on major highways and roads for the safety of the people. Much has been changed as passenger transportation vehicles have become more vulnerable to accidents. Vehicles are equipped with safety features such as airbags but most people can’t escape the fate of disastrous road accidents which causes instant death. Effective improvements in highway design, roadside safety and emergency medical services have been made, which has further made roads and highways safer.
However, drivers need to be made self-aware about speed law sanctions and speed limitations. Thus, this would improve upon making them more vigilant and responsible. Drivers and other vehicle occupants are buckling up more and drunk driving is less widespread than it used to be. Together with these improvements and strict speed laws and speed limitations, it would also contribute to a reduction in highway accidents fatality rates.
Some drivers appear to have reacted to safer speed limits and conditions on the highways by altering their perception of the dangerous risks associated with speeding. Methods of setting speed limits have essentially come into effect in the wake of an increase in road accidents. Many states and local government are reexamining speed limit policies.
Basis for a Speed Law Violation
The basic speed rule is that a person cannot drive exceeding a reasonable speed under the circumstances and traffic conditions existing at the time, regardless of any speed limit. A statutory speed limit of 65 mph on rural interstate highways is acceptable. Certain highways which are constructed by the Virginia Highway Corporation and other limited-access highways in countries are populous can restrict to 65 mph on the Virginia Route and 55 mph on other interstate highways.
Other conditions apply such as limited-access highways with divided roadways, non-limit access highways with four or more lanes and other State primary highways, have a speed limit of 55 mph. This includes motor vehicles, buses, pickup, panel trucks and motorcycles. Special speed limitations are for panel trucks, tractor trucks and a combination of vehicles, which are designed to transport property or a vehicle which is towing another vehicle; the speed limit for such vehicle transportation is 45 mph.
Speed laws regarding minimum speed limit are necessary so that no person shall drive a vehicle at a minimum slow speed so as to impede any other normal or reasonable movement of traffic. It is also based on the engineering and traffic investigations which establishes a minimum speed limit for a particular highway route.