Surprisingly high speed limits

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This is a road near where I live. Can you guess what the last speed limit sign before this point (going in the same direction) said (USA)?

What language is that printed on the street?

Last edited by EzraS on 19 Dec 2019, 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

Japanese. It's just what my browser is set to.

Usually in the US a shopping district street like that has a speed limit of 45 MPH at the most. Although if it's part of a state highway it would bump up to at least 55 past a certain point.

You're correct, but in this case the very last speed limit sign before this point said 55 MPH!



If you look at the OP picture, the speed limit drops to 40 after the next traffic signal, but only then. This is going northbound on the road. Interestingly, going southbound there is no speed limit sign that says 55 MPH (though there used to be).

So yeah, in that shopping district with lots of cars pulling out, the speed limit is still 55 MPH!

That's a mistake.....

Most often, I see 40 MPH in suburban-type shopping areas. Maybe 45 MPH is areas slightly less built up, but not on a main national road.

In NY State, the speed limit on Interstates is 65 MPH. Highways within NYC: 50 MPH. On the Long Island Expressway: 55 MPH.

It is rare to find a speed limit 50 MPH or above on non-highway roads.

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 19 Dec 2019, 9:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

Highways in Snohomish County WA are like that. Like highway 9 and especially highway 2. You really have to floor it driving out from a store or diner onto highway 2.

A lot of newer cars that have smart cruise control or are self driving know what the speed limit changes are and will maintain them.

I live out in the country. There are no posted speed limit signs on the country roads. (In the U.S. there are perhaps a million miles of roadway without posted speed limits!! !) The unofficial speed limit on these roads are 55 mph in my state. But in general they are not enforced because the police generally stick to the city roads, the main roads or the highways.

Also in the country, one tends to drive in the middle of the roadway. When you see an oncoming car, then you move over to your half of the roadway quickly. This is because on county roads there generally are no shoulders and many times there is a deep drainage ditch on either side of the road. If you slide into the ditch, you car might overturn, causing a major accident and potential death.