Zero-G Creative

A thought on speed limits

Oct 12 2009

This past weekend, I drove from Atlanta to Denver. I had a lot of time on my hands as you can image and I couldn’t help but notice a lot of interesting things as I drove. So what’s the deal with speed limits? The roads themselves don’t change much as you ride the interstate across the country. Some are 2 lanes, some are 6 lanes, some wind and turn a little — but for the most part a highway is a highway. But the rules for driving on them can vary greatly from state to state.

In Missouri, for example, they have two posted speed limits, one for cars and one for trucks, buses and campers; about 10 MPH less than the limit for cars. In Colorado, the speed limit is a whopping 75 MPH.

Speed limits are completely arbitrary and —it would seem — little to do with actual safety. Am I safer driving 65 through Tennessee than I am driving 75 through Colorado? No, it doesn’t appear that way. Consider also that the fastest road in the world, the Autobahn, is also one of the safest.

No, speed limits are about the perception of safety and a means of trying to control the actions of drivers who might not exercise good judgment without the posted limitation. So why do we have them?

I don’t want to entertain an argument here about whether or not speed limits are worthwhile — but my experience driving through seven states in two days got me thinking about the arbitrary limitations I put on my business. Over time, I’ve created subconscious speed limits for myself, lines I don’t cross. Why? I’m not sure anymore. If you’ve set arbitrary speed limits in your business, maybe now’s a good time to evaluate why you put them there and whether they have helped or hindered your progress as an entreprenuer.