06-05-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Who do I contact?If you believe that there is a safety concern or an inappropriate speed limit posted, the person to contact depends on the type of road. Interstates, federal and state highwaysFor regulatory and advisory speed limits on the trunk highway system, contact the district traffic engineer at your MnDOT district office. The trunk highway system includes: Interstate Highways U.S. Highways and Minnesota State Highways Local streets and highwaysFor these roadways, you may contact your local road authority (county, city, or township).If you are unable to find the right phone number, call the MnDOT Information center: Greater Minnesota: 1-800-657-3774Twin Cities Metro: 651-296-3000 MnDOT Office of Traffic Safety and Technology For more information, visit: www.mndot.gov/speed/ Q&A Will lowering the speed limit reduce speeds?No. Studies show there is little change in the speed pattern after the posting of a speed limit. The driver is much more influenced by the roadway conditions. Will lowering the speed limit reduce crash frequency?No. Although lowering the speed limit is often seen as a cure-all in preventing crashes, this is not the case. Crashes are most often the result of driver inattention and driver error. However, if a posted speed limit is unrealistically low, it creates a greater speed variance (i.e. some drivers follow the speed limit while most drive the reasonable speed). This speed variance can contribute to crashes. Why do we even have speed limits?A uniform speed of vehicles in a traffic flow results in the safest operation. The posted speed limits can keep the traffic flowing smoothly provided the majority of drivers find the speed limits reasonable. To best do this, the limits must be consistent throughout the state. The speed limits also give the motorist an idea of a reasonable speed to drive in an unfamiliar location. The speed limits are used by police officials to identify excessive speeds and curb unreasonable behavior.