Obviously, ideal speed on that particular strech of road is at least 75-80, but people are reluctant to drive as fast if that would put them in danger of serious fine. I know of long streches of two-lane roads in Croatia where one can safely do 90 mph (and, according to movies I saw, there are plenty of them in the States); however, I limit myself to around 10 over (that is, 70 or so), because that's the point where fines bacome steeper. There are other streches, OTOH, where I don't reach posted limit because I don't feel comfortable with it.

About your 'being alert' theory: I agree, of course, that driving in any kind of demanding environment calls for constant situational awareness (e.g. one has to be aware of vehicles behind and in adjacent lanes to one's own, so that in the case of a need for quick evasive maneuver no checking is required). However, scanning all 'generic cruisers' for telltale signs of constabular occupation, discriminating various misterious pole-mounted devices, scrutinizing overpasses and checking roadside foliage for hidden Bad Blue Boys* is distracting per se.

It is reckless driving that kills (which comes in many forms), not speed as such. It is absolutely inexcusable to use traffic violation fines as fiscal instrument (that is, local government budget fodder), instead of strictly safety enhancing measure. Isn't it a duty of city and county officials (and police departments) to promote both traffic safety and usability of roads? Hmm, I wonder is there a lucrative lawsuit somewhere there....


*) BBB was originaly the name of best Zagreb soccer team's (Dinamo) fan club (blue jerseys, obviously). Nowadays it is also used for police (dark blue uniforms).