In my experience, most people drive roughly 5 miles per hour over the speed limit. That suggests to me that the speed limit does in fact have a mitigating effect.
>most people drive roughly 5 miles per hour over the speed limit>speed limit does in fact have a mitigating effect.
You got the causality dangerously backwards. That's not how policy works.
"The speed limit is commonly set at or below the 85th percentile operating speed (being the speed which no more than 15% of traffic exceeds),", as per [1].
Specifically, speed limits are not set by carefully measuring & modeling conditions on the road by direct application of science; there's no finely tuned measuring aparatus nor advanced math model. Instead we rely on drivers judgement aggregated over time, conditions, and locations. Granted, there are certain notable exceptions: bridges & tunnels where speed limit is also informed by structural constraints, and also fuel consumption reduction policy in cases like the 1973 speed limit.
And yes there are natural parallels to civil disobedience; in some cases limits got raised or lowered upon public pressure.
For instance, when I lived in Virginia, it was relatively rare to see someone going more than 5 mph over the limit on the interstate (75 in a 70). I’m Arkansas, it’s very common to see people going 15 over (85 in a 70).
In Virginia anything over 80mph is automatic reckless driving, it's a big deterrent. Only speeding ticket I ever got as a kid.
Also I don't know anything about Arkansas but we grow up in Virginia being completely afraid of State Troopers pulling us over for anything. I've never lived in a place with more general fear of STs.
