Why are cars designed to go way over the speed limit?

Marc Sternfield
·2 min read

Unless you’re a professional racer or a cop, most drivers have no reason to push their vehicle’s engine to the max.

So why are cars built to go well over the legal speed limit? For a few reasons.

The highest speed limit you’ll find in the United States is 85 miles per hour in Texas. In many states, including California, drivers cannot legally go over 70.

In most modern vehicles, however, the speedometer goes to 140 mph or higher (in some cases, much higher). It appears manufacturers are encouraging drivers to break the law, right? Not exactly.

As MotorBiscuit explains, there are several reasons why cars are designed to go much faster than the law allows.

Safety Margins

First, drivers are given a safety margin for emergency situations, which allows them to pass other vehicles safely or accelerate quickly when needed, such as to avoid collisions or escape dangerous situations.

Also, let’s say a family member has a heart attack, and you live in a remote area with no first responders nearby. You might find it necessary to speed to get to the nearest hospital. This is also true if a woman goes into labor. This doesn’t mean you won’t get pulled over. It just means you will have a reasonable explanation for why you were going so fast.

Reliability

By making cars that can go 120 mph or faster, less strain is placed on the engine at lower speeds, which improves safety and fuel economy.

“In order to create seamless shifts all the way up the transmission, it’s necessary to increase the top speed,” MotorBiscuit writes. “If a vehicle didn’t have as high of a speed capability, it wouldn’t be able to turn large gears as efficiently.”

International Markets

While the United States has posted speed limits that are (supposed to be) enforced, that isn’t true around the globe.

Some countries have very few restrictions on speeding so automakers need to design their vehicles with broad international appeal. The most obvious example is Germany’s Autobahn where there is no speed limit.

Just because a car can reach triple-digit speeds doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe or legal. Drivers who put the pedal to the metal face costly tickets, the loss of their driver’s license, or even potential jail time.

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