Talk:Design speed

True purpose of design speed

Just a note for long-term maintainers: This article needs to be careful not to equate design speed with maximum safe speed. Design speed is sometimes corrupted in common parlance to be a solid recommendation for a road's speed limit. While that may be among the design speed's goals, there are limitations on design speeds that are difficult to overcome, largely that it is main intent is to determine geometric features of road design. As such, design speed is a theoretical measurement of safe operating speeds before a facility is even built. Other factors come into play during speed zoning that may result in a different, lower or higher, speed limit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.25.0.173 (talk) 20:32, 27 December 2010 (UTC)