Big Tone wrote:
An idiot or someone in a desperate hurry would always use the upper limit, even if inappropriate. (If I understand your suggestion Toltec?).
Do some drivers not already do that?
PeterE wrote:
Sorry, but I think this contributes to the misguided idea that numerical speed as such is an important factor in road safety.
The idea is partly to point out the opposite, that the speeds you need to be doing will vary and cannot be addressed by a single number. The other part of it is that the value for range should indicate the difficulty or complexity of the road ahead, the larger the range, the greater the hazards the driver will need to address.
PeterE wrote:
Speed relative to the conditions is, numerical speed as such isn't. Most people could drive entirely safely without a working speedometer.
I agree and would even add that many drivers would actually drive slower on certain types of road if they did not have a number to aim for. Realistically we are not going to get rid of speed limits, but maybe this would undermine the idea that you can stick a single number on a road and say it is to do with safety.