 |  Gov. Kevin Stitt just signed into law a measure which would grant the dept of public safety more latitude in setting speed limits on Oklahoma's safest rural highways and turnpikes. The transition has no set timetable and there likely will not be a big celebration by the Transportation dept or highway patrol. But the evidence none-the-less backs up this decision. Automobile suspensions are far superior to what they were in the 1970s. Roads, especially those designed to interstate class, are far safer than the ones our grandparents drove on. This change will likely add more importance to our "Keep Right" laws. Just 2 years ago, the legislature created a law which tickets motorists who are found in the left lane while not passing or exiting left. |
Several self-absorbed motorists use passive-aggressive tactics. They block the left lane in an effort to contain the speeds of other motorists, based upon their own sense of limited driving skills.
Still others stay in the left lane because they don't like to deal with merging traffic coming from entrance ramps. These narcissists must be dealt the strong medicine of traffic citations because they create the very dangerous scenario of faster motorists passing on the right.
Another growing problem is the variation of speeds that drivers travel at. The minimum speed is currently 50mph. This means that even if everyone is precisely within the allowed posted speeds, then there is still a 30mph difference. And it's the variations that create the hazards for deadly crashes.
The new statutory speed law does not negate the other statutes which require motorists to drive within the safe conditions of the roadway and weather. This is referred to as the Basic Speeding Law. Hence, driving 80mph in sleet, or freezing rain, will certainly be cited with at least a paper citation, or a mandated court appearance.
Oklahoma's drunk driving problems are far less than they were 40 years ago. When adjusted for population, we have about 1/3 of the DUI deaths that we did in 1982 and prior. Alcohol chemically alters the brain to cause a more careless motorist. Marijuana, on the other hand, commonly causes a more cautious and slower driver.
Still others stay in the left lane because they don't like to deal with merging traffic coming from entrance ramps. These narcissists must be dealt the strong medicine of traffic citations because they create the very dangerous scenario of faster motorists passing on the right.
Another growing problem is the variation of speeds that drivers travel at. The minimum speed is currently 50mph. This means that even if everyone is precisely within the allowed posted speeds, then there is still a 30mph difference. And it's the variations that create the hazards for deadly crashes.
The new statutory speed law does not negate the other statutes which require motorists to drive within the safe conditions of the roadway and weather. This is referred to as the Basic Speeding Law. Hence, driving 80mph in sleet, or freezing rain, will certainly be cited with at least a paper citation, or a mandated court appearance.
Oklahoma's drunk driving problems are far less than they were 40 years ago. When adjusted for population, we have about 1/3 of the DUI deaths that we did in 1982 and prior. Alcohol chemically alters the brain to cause a more careless motorist. Marijuana, on the other hand, commonly causes a more cautious and slower driver.
| Oklahoma's Driver's Education manual says > | Basic Speeding Law Oklahoma’s basic speeding law requires all motorist to drive “at a careful and prudent speed not greater than nor less than is reasonable and proper, having due regard to the traffic, surface and width of the highway and any other conditions then existing.” The law also prohibits driving “at a speed greater than will permit the driver to bring it to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.” In other words, motorists must always drive at a safe speed. What a safe speed is will depend on the circumstances. For instance, 55 miles per hour might be safe on a bright, sunny day. But if it’s dark and the road is icy, going 55 miles per hour could be dangerous and a violation of the basic speeding law. (Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 47, § 11-801 (2017).) |
