Purdue University conducted a recent survey that found the majority of drivers are perfectly fine with driving at a speed above the posted limit- regardless of what that number is.

In fact, 21% of those surveyed said it wasn’t a problem to drive 5 mph over the limit, 43% said it was fine to go 10 mph over, and 36% of people said why not go 20 mph over the limit.

Fred Mannering, who is the author of the study, hypothesizes, that measures to associate concerns, such as neighborhood safety, noise, and fuel-efficiency, has caused people to disassociate speed limits with safety.  This is why many officials lower the speed limit signs artificially because they figure that drivers will go over the speed limit 5-10mph.

The biggest danger isn’t speeding, but discrepancies in how fast some motorists are going compared to others.  If half the drivers are going the speed limit and half are over by 20 mph, then problems arise, such as accidents and emergency roadside assistance calls.