Whether it’s driving to work or going on a road trip I notice that many times Taiwanese people slow down to 30km/hr under the speed limit in tunnels when the signs clearly show the suggested speed limit. Am I missing something here? If not, why are people afraid to go the speed limit in tunnels?
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Visibility and caution? Not that caution is ever displayed in any other driving situations…
I wonder if the excessively tinted windows have anything to do with this.
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Can experience it a lot when you drive from Taichung to Puli. Many tunnels and often it is jammed before the entrances for no obvious reason.
Most people can’t overcome their anxiety and slow down. This additionally creates a Traffic wave - Wikipedia
“Some people who are nervous about confined places and dark places respond to that nervousness by slowing down,” said Mark Scerbo, a psychology professor at Old Dominion University.
It’s a response to having less freedom of movement.Asad J. Khattak, an engineering professor who leads an ODU transportation program, said drivers perceive a narrowing of the lanes, even though the lane width remains the same.
“The fact that you have a wall next to you is a very limiting factor.”
There’s also a reaction to the change in brightness.“Our visual system will adapt to the overwhelming change in intensity of lighting, but not instantly,” Scerbo said. It takes about 20 minutes for the eyes to fully adapt to dark conditions, he added.
“We reflexively hit the brake and slow down to give our eyes time to adjust.”
Why traffic flow slows when drivers hit tunnels – The Virginian-Pilot
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Ghosts in the tunnels must not be disturbed!? Who knows, perhaps the scary video’s of tunnel crashes frequently shown on the news, perhaps the heavy tints pointed out by @lostinasia. Whatever the reason it is a recognized problem and there are minimum speed cameras in some tunnels and routine police checks in others, 交通部高速公路局»高速公路局中文版 »消息公告 »最新消息-雪山隧道慢速車示警系統，110年12月1日起增加大客車顯示-雪山隧道慢速車示警系統，110年12月1日起增加大客車顯示 (freeway.gov.tw) , 最低速限60他開63…行駛八卦山隧道慘噴3000元 原因曝光 - 社會 - 自由時報電子報 (ltn.com.tw) with fines being regularly issued. Always amused at the super cautious travelling at low speed in the left hand lane but not bothering, or knowing, to turn on their freaking lights!
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I always attributed it to the speed cameras that are very common in tunnels.
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This. Most tunnels have average speed check cameras, so people are cautious. Who would have thought, enforcing road laws makes people follow those road laws. Someone should tell the government!
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People can’t see shit on tunnels
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This drives me and my wife (Taiwanese) crazy. My wife swears it’s fear and I tend to agree. The explanation provided above seems reasonable. You know it’s a problem when the loudspeakers in the tunnels going to Yilan urge drivers to speed up.
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Let’s build tunnels at intersections?
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