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🚦 OHIO’S ROAD TO DANGER: 85-Year-Old Sparks Speed Limit War! 💥
"Are You Waiting for a Body Count?!" – Elder Calls Out Officials 💬
For years, Rose Hammond, a feisty 85-year-old, has demanded action from authorities over a notorious road near her assisted living community in Sylvania Township, Ohio. As motorcycles zoom past daily, she dared officials: “What are you waiting for, somebody to get killed?”
SHOCKING OUTCOME: Speed Limit TOO HIGH?! 🤬
In response to mounting public pressure, officials reluctantly asked county engineers to take a long, hard look at Mitchaw Road’s current speed limit, which stands at a baffling 55 mph. You won’t believe what they discovered: it’s technically 5 mph too low! Yes, you read that right!
Blast from the Past: A Speed Limit SETTLING 1930s Study! 📚⏳
This madness stems from ancient research dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, establishing the "85% rule"—the absurd idea that speed limits should reflect the pace of the fastest 15 vehicles out of 100. It’s a recipe for disaster, especially as ever-busier city streets evolve away from these outdated guidelines!
Feedback Loop of Doom: Drivers Dictate Danger! 🚗💨
The system relies on drivers’ whims, leading to a perilous cycle. When speeds rise, so do the limits—a toxic feedback loop creating a highway where safety is merely an illusion!
Jenny O’Connell, from the National Association of City Transportation Officials, doesn’t mince words: “People speed, then speed limits go up! It’s madness!"
A Call to Action: City Limits to Save Lives! 🛑
Enter the “City Limits” initiative, born from a desperate need to reevaluate how speed limits are set! Instead of blindly following tired old rules, this fresh approach considers pedestrians and collisions—a HUGE step toward saving lives!
Road Carnage Rising: The 85th Percentile Under Fire! 💔
With road deaths skyrocketing across the nation, the Federal Highway Administration is finally urging states to reconsider their blind adherence to the 85% rule! It’s a wake-up call that communities MUST take pedestrian safety into account!
Leah Shahum from the Vision Zero Network demands MORE action: “The manual could’ve gone further, but some states are still clinging to outdated ideas!”
Speed Kills: Wisconsin Takes the Lead with ‘20 is Plenty’ Campaign! 🚦✨
Cities like Madison are fighting back, slashing residential speed limits to a safer 20 mph! Meanwhile, Seattle’s bold pilot program shows a miraculous decline in serious accidents, proving that with less speed comes greater safety!
California, Wake Up! 🚀
In the state renowned for its car culture, speed limits continue to rise! But advocates for cyclists are demanding a change the public and government need to embrace! “There’s still a heavy mindset that cars reign supreme!” fumes Kendra Ramsey from the California Bicycle Coalition.
Is 80 the New 55? Dangerously Fast Roads Ahead! 😱
Congress put a national maximum speed limit of 55 mph into effect in the 1970s, but that’s a distant memory! Fast forward to today, and North Dakota is letting drivers hit 80 mph! Texas? They’re pushing the limit to a dangerous 85 mph on certain highways!
Sylvania Township: A Fight for Lower Limits! ⚔️
In Sylvania, officials wrestle with the shocking reality that the 85% rule says speeds should go UP! What a gut punch for a community desperate for change! County engineer Mike Pniewski emphasizes the need for data-driven decisions, but Ohio’s laws stubbornly hold on to the past.
A Glimmer of Hope? 🚸
Some progress is being made! Ohio is slowly shifting focus to safer streets, considering pedestrian needs more seriously! But as Hammond, the hero of this story, laments, “I just get so discouraged.” The fight for safety continues—a road fraught with peril and urgency!
Stay tuned, because if Rose Hammond has her way, the speed limit saga isn’t over yet! 🚧💣
photo credit: fortune.com
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