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Cathay

Cathay is a historical name for China that was used in Europe. During the early modern period, the term Cathay initially evolved as a term referring to what is now Northern China, completely separate and distinct from China, which was a reference to southern China. As knowledge of East Asia increased, Cathay came to be seen as the same polity as China as a whole. The term Cathay became a poetic name for China.

The name Cathay originates from the term Khitan, a para-Mongolic nomadic people who ruled the Liao dynasty in northern China from 916 to 1125, and who later migrated west after they were overthrown by the Jin dynasty to form the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty) for another century thereafter. Originally, this name was the name applied by Central and Western Asians and Europeans to northern China; the name was also used in Marco Polo's book on his travels in Yuan dynasty China (he referred to southern China as Mangi). Odoric of Pordenone (d. 1331) also writes about Cathay and the Khan in his travelbooks from his journey before 1331, perhaps 1321–1330.

History

The term Cathay came from the name for the Khitans. A form of the name Cathai is attested in a Uyghur Manichaean document describing the external people circa 1000. The Khitans refer to themselves as Qidan (Khitan small script: ; ), but in the language of the ancient Uyghurs the final -n or -ń became -y, and this form may have been the source of the name Khitai for later Muslim writers. This version of the name was then introduced to medieval and early modern Europe via Muslim and Russian sources.

The Khitans were known to Muslim Central Asia: in 1026, the Ghaznavid court (in Ghazna, in today's Afghanistan) was visited by envoys from the Liao ruler, he was described as a "Qatā Khan", i.e. the ruler of Qatā; Qatā or Qitā appears in writings of al-Biruni and Abu Said Gardezi in the following decades. The Persian scholar and administrator Nizam al-Mulk (1018–1092) mentions Khita and China in his Book on the Administration of the State, apparently as two separate countries (presumably, referring to the Liao and Song Empires, respectively).

The name's currency in the Muslim world survived the replacement of the Khitan Liao dynasty with the Jurchen Jin dynasty in the early 12th century. When describing the fall of the Jin Empire to the Mongols (1234), Persian history described the conquered country as Khitāy or Djerdaj Khitāy (i.e., "Jurchen Cathay"). The Mongols themselves, in their Secret History (13th century) talk of both Khitans and Kara-Khitans.

In about 1340 Francesco Balducci Pegolotti, a merchant from Florence, compiled the Pratica della mercatura, a guide about trade in China, a country he called Cathay, noting the size of Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) and how merchants could exchange silver for Chinese paper money that could be used to buy luxury items such as silk.

Words related to Khitay are still used in many Turkic and Slavic languages to refer to China. The ethnonym derived from Khitay in the Uyghur language for Han Chinese is considered pejorative by both its users and its referents, and the PRC authorities have attempted to ban its use. The term also strongly connotes Uyghur nationalism.

Cathay and Mangi
As European and Arab travelers started reaching the Mongol Empire, they described the Mongol-controlled Northern China as Cathay in a number of spelling variants. The name occurs in the writings of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine (c. 1180–1252) (as Kitaia), and William of Rubruck (c. 1220–c. 1293) (as Cataya or Cathaia). Travels in the Land of Kublai Khan by Marco Polo has a story called "The Road to Cathay". Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo all referred to Northern China as Cathay, while Southern China, ruled by the Song dynasty, was Mangi, Manzi, Chin, or Sin. The word Manzi (蠻子) or Mangi is a derogatory term in Chinese meaning "barbarians of the south" (Man was used to describe unsinicised Southern China in its earlier periods), and would therefore not have been used by the Chinese to describe themselves or their own country, but it was adopted by the Mongols to describe the people and country of Southern China. The name for South China commonly used on Western medieval maps was Mangi, a term still used in maps in the 16th century.

Identifying China as Cathay
The division of China into northern and southern parts ruled by, in succession, the Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties in the north, and the Song dynasty in the south, ended in the late 13th century with the conquest of southern China by the Yuan dynasty.

While Central Asia had long known China under names similar to Cathay, that country was known to the peoples of Southeast Asia and India under names similar to China (cf. e.g. Cina in modern Malay). Meanwhile, in China itself, people usually referred to the realm in which they lived on the name of the ruling dynasty, e.g. Da Ming Guo ("Great Ming state") and Da Qing Guo ("Great Qing state"), or as Zhongguo (中國, lit. Middle Kingdom or Central State); see also Names of China for details.

When the Portuguese reached Southeast Asia (Afonso de Albuquerque conquering Malacca in 1511) and the southern coast of China (Jorge Álvares reaching the Pearl River estuary in 1513), they started calling the country by the name used in South and Southeast Asia. It was not immediately clear to the Europeans whether this China is the same country as Cathay known from Marco Polo. Therefore, it would not be uncommon for 16th-century maps to apply the label China just to the coastal region already well known to the Europeans (e.g., just Guangdong on Abraham Ortelius' 1570 map), and to place the mysterious Cathay somewhere inland.

It was a small group of Jesuits, led by Matteo Ricci who, being able both to travel throughout China and to read, learned about the country from Chinese books and from conversation with people of all walks of life. During his first fifteen years in China (1583–1598) Matteo Ricci formed a strong suspicion that Marco Polo's Cathay is simply the Tatar (i.e., Mongol) name for the country he was in, i.e. China. Ricci supported his arguments by numerous correspondences between Marco Polo's accounts and his own observations:

 * The River "Yangtze" divides the empire into two halves, with nine provinces ("kingdoms") south of the river and six to the north;
 * Marco Polo's "Cathay" was just south of "Tartary", and Ricci learned that there was no other country between the Ming Empire and "Tartary" (i.e., the lands of Mongols and Manchus).
 * People in China had not heard of any place called "Cathay".

Most importantly, when the Jesuits first arrived to Beijing 1598, they also met a number of "Mohammedans" or "Arabian Turks" – visitors or immigrants from the Muslim countries to the west of China, who told Ricci that now they were living in the Great Cathay. This all made them quite convinced that Cathay was indeed China.

China-based Jesuits promptly informed their colleagues in Goa (Portuguese India) and Europe about their discovery of the Cathay–China identity. This was stated e.g. in a 1602 letter of Ricci's comrade Diego de Pantoja, which was published in Europe along with other Jesuits' letters in 1605. The Jesuits in India, however, were not convinced, because, according to their informants (merchants who visited the Mughal capitals Agra and Lahore), Cathay – a country that could be reached via Kashgar – had a large Christian population, while the Jesuits in China had not found any Christians there.

In retrospect, the Central Asian Muslim informants' idea of the Ming China being a heavily Christian country may be explained by numerous similarities between Christian and Buddhist ecclesiastical rituals – from having sumptuous statuary and ecclesiastical robes to Gregorian chant – which would make the two religions appear externally similar to a Muslim merchant. This may also have been the genesis of the Prester John myth.

To resolve the China–Cathay controversy, the India Jesuits sent a Portuguese lay brother, Bento de Góis, on an overland expedition north and east, with the goal of reaching Cathay and finding out once and for all whether it is China or some other country. Góis spent almost three years (1603–1605) crossing Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Kashgaria, and Kingdom of Cialis with Muslim trade caravans. In 1605, in Cialis, he, too, became convinced that his destination is China, as he met the members of a caravan returning from Beijing to Kashgar, who told them about staying in the same Beijing inn with Portuguese Jesuits. (In fact, those were the same very "Saracens" who had, a few months earlier, confirmed it to Ricci that they were in "Cathay"). De Góis died in Suzhou, Gansu – the first Ming China city he reached – while waiting for an entry permit to proceed toward Beijing; but, in the words of Henry Yule, it was his expedition that made "Cathay... finally disappear from view, leaving China only in the mouths and minds of men".

Ricci's and de Gois' conclusion was not, however, completely convincing for everybody in Europe yet. Samuel Purchas, who in 1625 published an English translation of Pantoja's letter and Ricci's account, thought that perhaps Cathay still can be found somewhere north of China. In this period, many cartographers were placing Cathay on the Pacific coast, north of Beijing (Pekin) which was already well known to Europeans. The borders drawn on some of these maps would first make Cathay the northeastern section of China (e.g. 1595 map by Gerardus Mercator), or, later, a region separated by China by the Great Wall and possibly some mountains and/or wilderness (as in a 1610 map by Jodocus Hondius, or a 1626 map by John Speed). J. J. L. Duyvendak hypothesized that it was the ignorance of the fact that "China" is the mighty "Cathay" of Marco Polo that allowed the Dutch governor of East Indies Jan Pieterszoon Coen to embark on an "unfortunate" (for the Dutch) policy of treating the Ming Empire as "merely another 'oriental' kingdom".

The last nail into the coffin of the idea of there being a Cathay as a country separate from China was, perhaps, driven in 1654, when the Dutch Orientalist Jacobus Golius met with the China-based Jesuit Martino Martini, who was passing through Leyden. Golius knew no Chinese, but he was familiar with Zij-i Ilkhani, a work by the Persian astronomer Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, completed in 1272, in which he described the Chinese ("Cathayan") calendar. Upon meeting Martini, Golius started reciting the names of the 12 divisions into which, according to Nasir al-Din, the "Cathayans" were dividing the day – and Martini, who of course knew no Persian, was able to continue the list. The names of the 24 solar terms matched as well. The story, soon published by Martini in the "Additamentum" to his Atlas of China, seemed to have finally convinced most European scholars that China and Cathay were the same.

Even then, some people still viewed Cathay as distinct from China, as did John Milton in the 11th Book of his Paradise Lost (1667).

In 1939, Hisao Migo (御江久夫, a Japanese botanist ) published a paper describing Iris cathayensis (meaning "Chinese iris") in the Journal of the Shanghai Science Institute.

Etymological progression
Below is the etymological progression from "Khitan" to Cathay as the word travelled westward:

 * Classical Mongolian: Qitad (cf. modern Mongolian Хятад Khyatad)
 * Uyghur: خىتاي (Xitay)
 * Persian: ختای (khatāy)
 * Kyrgyz: Кытай (Kytai)
 * Kazakh: قىتاي, Қытай, Qıtay
 * Kazan Tatar: Кытай (Qıtay)
 * Russian: Китай (Kitay)
 * Ukrainian: Китай (Kytaj)
 * Belarusian: Кітай (Kitaj)
 * Bulgarian: Китай (Kitay)
 * Georgian: ხატაეთი (Khataeti) (archaic or obsolete)
 * Uzbek: Хитой (Xitoy)
 * Polish: Kitaj
 * Slovenian: Kitaj (Китаj)
 * Croatian: Kitaj
 * Medieval Latin: Cataya, Kitai
 * Italian: Catai
 * Spanish: Catay
 * Portuguese: Cataio or Catai
 * French, English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian: Cathay

In many Turkic and Slavic languages a form of "Cathay" (e.g., Китай, Kitay) remains the usual modern name for China. In Javanese, the word ꦏꦠꦻ (Katai, Katé) exists, and it refers to "East Asian", literally meaning "dwarf" or "short-legged" in today's language.

In Uyghur, the word "Xitay (Hitay)"is used as a derogatory term for Ethnic Han Chinese.

Use in English
In the English language, the word Cathay was sometimes used for China, although increasingly only in a poetic sense, until the 19th century, when it was completely replaced by China. Demonyms for the people of Cathay (i.e., Chinese people) were Cathayan and Cataian. The terms China and Cathay have histories of approximately equal length in English. Cathay is still used poetically. The Hong Kong flag-bearing airline is named Cathay Pacific. One of the largest commercial banks of Taiwan is named Cathay United Bank.

The novel Creation by Gore Vidal uses the name in reference to "those states between the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers" as the novel is set in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. Ezra Pound's Cathay (1915) is a collection of classical Chinese poems translated freely into English verse.

In Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age stories (including the tales of Conan the Barbarian), the analog of China is called Khitai.

In Warhammer Fantasy, a fantastical reimagination of the world used as a setting for various novels and games produced by Games Workshop, Grand Cathay is the largest human empire, situated in the far east of the setting and based on medieval China.

In the names of organized entities
Cathay is more prevalent in proper terms, such as in Cathay Pacific Airways or Cathay Hotel.

Cathay Bank is a bank with multiple branches throughout the United States and other countries.

Cathay Cineplexes is a cinema operator in Singapore operated by mm2 Asia, acquired from the Cathay Organisation.

Cathay United Bank and Cathay Life Insurance are, respectively, a financial services company and an insurance company, both located in Taiwan.

title: Cathay


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Bellingham railway station

Bellingham railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham in south London. It is in Travelcard Zone 3, and the station and all trains are operated by Thameslink. The station buildings lie on Randlesdown Road in Bellingham; the platforms are below street level.

The station, which lies on what today is known as the Catford Loop, was opened on 1 July 1892. It is 8 mi measured from London Victoria.

Services
Off-peak, all services at Bellingham are operated by Thameslink using EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

 * 2 tph to London Blackfriars
 * 2 tph to Sevenoaks via Swanley

During the peak hours, additional services between Orpington, Kentish Town and Luton call at the station. In addition, the service to London Blackfriars is extended to and from Welwyn Garden City via Finsbury Park.

The station is also served by a number of peak hour Southeastern services between London Victoria, Rochester and Gillingham. The station is served by four trains to London Victoria in the morning peak and two trains to Rochester, one of which continues to Gillingham in the evening peak.

title: Bellingham railway station


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Talk:Speed limit/Archive 2

Vandalism in progress - "push it to the limit"
Vandalism is in progress on this page and other pages under a lame meme called Safety Not Guaranteed. Affected pages include this one, limit, Limit (mathematics), Limit of a function, etc. The vandal leaves a statement along the lines of "If you push it to the limit, safety is not guaranteed." Much unlike this meme, All your base are belong to us was actually funny. Nova SS 02:50, 17 February 2006 (UTC) (who pushes it to the limit all the time and somehow doesn't crash every time he drives)

Statistical basis for opposition
I challenge Duke Ganote in particular to provide a citation to back the assertion that opposition to limits is significantly based on the OECD study. The majority of drivers have no idea this exists at all, and those who do probably only come across it as part of a post-hoc rationalisation. There is also other research which clearly demonstrates the link between speed and severity and frequency of collisions, so that sounds a lot like cherry-picking. The statistical is not "weak", though it is possibly fair to describe it as inconclusive. Just zis Guy you know? 12:33, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Guy, I don't think I stated "that opposition to limits is significantly based on the OECD study". I cited and directly quoted from the OECD study as perhaps the most international, reputable synthesis study that questions "conventional wisdom" on speed limits. In essence, the OECD study states that it is possible to conduct an rock-solid speed study, but that most studies are controvertible or, as you stated, inconclusive. That's exactly what the opposition says, but they will usually controvert studies done in their own country. The article needs to be more concise and international, hence the international citation. Duke Ganote 02:11, 4 March 2006 (UTC)

mph and km/h equivalents rounded to nearest 5 units
Why are all the equivalent mph or km/h speeds in this article rounded to the nearest 5 units? For example, 110km/h is equivalent to 68mph, not 70mph. Likewise, 70mph is equivalent to 113km/h, not 110km/h. I see no good reason to round all the equivalents to the nearest 5 units. It is inaccurate, misleading and unnecessary. NFH 21:29, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I've found the answer. Anonymous user:24.146.12.62 inexplicably changed almost all the equivalent values on 2 January 2005, rounding them to the nearest 5, thereby making them incorrect. See . What's the easiest way to revert this very old edit (which could almost be called vandalism)? NFH 22:26, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

 * Rounding to the nearest 5 makes the numbers more user friendly and better correlates to actual speeds that normal people would think about. I talk in terms of 55 or 75 mph, not 62 or 57 mph. If you see rounding errors, such as 70 mph being rounded incorrectly to 110 instead of 115, then please correct it. Otherwise, keep the 5 mph increments. Nova SS 04:01, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I don't see how rounding to the nearest 5 makes the numbers more user-friendly. Rounding to the nearest 5 km/h is ridiculous, given that km/h speed limits are in increments of 10. Why not therefore round to the nearest 10 km/h? Even mph speed limits in the UK are always in increments of 10. Apart from mph speed limits in the US, using increments of 5 is irrelevant to how most people think about speed limits. In any case, it makes absolutely no sense to round the equivalents in such a way that makes them inaccurate and misleading. Wikipedia should be accurate and not mislead. If I drive through a 30 mph speed warning device in the UK at 33 mph, it flashes up that I am doing 33 mph, and it does not round it to 35 mph. If I get stopped for speeding in France at 129 km/h, then the gendarme will tell me I was doing 129 km/h, and he does not round it up to 130 km/h. This rounding was introduced to the article by an anonymous user with no explanation of justification and should be reverted. NFH 07:18, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

 * There have been other attempts at un-rounding numbers in the past few months, and they have been reverted. Please do not change rounding unless you have a consensus. By the way, I am fine with rounding km/h limits to 10 kmh increments. That being said, I am aware that some countries use kmh increments that end in 5 (35, 45, 55, etc) on advisory speeds, so that rule will need some flex. Nova SS 16:19, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

 * By the way, you may need to check your glasses. This user's Jan. 2, 2005 edit has nothing to do with changing rounding practices on existing numbers. All he did was correct one number that was rounded unlike every other number on the page. Here are all of this user's edits: . Nova SS 04:15, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

 * No, sorry you're wrong. See the link that I posted above, which I'll repeat again here for your benefit: The anonymous user changed a large number of equivalents so they became incorrect. I'm not the one who needs glasses. NFH 07:39, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

 * Ooops, you're correct. I neglected to remember that I was only looking at the first 50 of that user's changes. Sorry! Nova SS 14:56, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

 * The only rouding that seems contentious to me on rounding is 100 km/h. In the article it's rounded to 65-mph consistently.  However, it makes more sense to me to consistently round to the nearest 5-mph increment, which would be 60-mph.  Conceptually, I remember the conversions using:  40 km/h = 25-mph; 80 km/h = 50-mph; 120 km/h = 75-mph. Duke Ganote 15:57, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

 * Taiwanese maximum and minimum speed limits are to be posted in increments of 5 km/h, though most are posted in increments of 10 km/h. I have heard of a minumum speed limit of 25 km/h in a Hong Kong tunnel.--Jusjih 14:12, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

'''Please vote below for the units to which you think equivalent speeds should be rounded. Please add Support votes above Oppose votes for ease of counting.'''

Round to the nearest 1 mph or 1 km/h

 * 1) Support - this balances accuracy with ease of reading, i.e. no decimal places, and is the most natural. NFH 21:18, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 2) Support limits should be reported accurately and translation into alternative units likewise Softgrow 22:37, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 3) Support--Patrick 12:08, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 4) Oppose for the following reasons/truisms:
 * 5) There's a good reason why speed limit signs don't end in anything but 5 or 0. That reason also applies to this page.
 * 6) Usability is more important than absolutle accuracy. Absolute accuracy in this case is a false benefit because nobody is going to print this out and use it to determine speeds.
 * 7) People think in terms of what appears on the speed limit signs. This means 5 mph increments (10 kph increments), and using such increments makes the page more user friendly. Otherwise, users have to mentally pause and figure out which 5 or 10 increment we're talking about. I can tell you how 70 or 80 mph feels, but it's less intuitive for me to tell you how 73 mph feels.
 * 8) If ending with 5 or 0 is not accurate enough, why not carry out to decimal places? Where does it end?
 * 9) Keep the 0 and 5 increments. Nova SS 04:11, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 10) Oppose except for speeds slower than 20 km/h or 10 miles per hour. For faster speeds, the nearest 5 km/h or miles per hour are good enough, but for slower ones, the nearest 1 km/h or mile per hour is more accurate.--Jusjih 14:17, 3 May 2006 (UTC)
 * 11) Support except drop the fraction down. To keep accuracy will ensuring people don't accidently get a speeding ticket driving thru a speed trap. Jon 18:12, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
 * 12) Support. Limits are set in only one unit, not both. They are rounded in that unit for ease of both memorization and reading off the speedometer. The speedometer will usually be calibrated in the same units as the speed limit. Readers are not using this article in the same context as the posted speed limits, therefore they should be accurate. Rounding up or down to the nearest 1 or even 2 mph is sufficiently accurate. 5 mph is too far away in most cases.--Rfsmit 19:25, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Round to the nearest 5 mph or 5 km/h

 * 1) Oppose - speed limits in multiples of 5 are unusual except in the United States and such rounding makes the data on this page inaccurate. NFH 21:18, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 2) Oppose Softgrow 22:37, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 3) Support for mph speeds. Nova SS 04:11, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 4) Oppose--Patrick 12:08, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 5) Support for mph speeds. Duke Ganote 15:57, 1 April 2006 (UTC)
 * 6) Support - this is typical practice in the US highway industry, including the MUTCD and AASHTO green book. It's known as a hard conversion. Rounding to the nearest 1 kph would be a soft conversion, which is deprecated unless accuracy is essential.  Toiyabe 22:35, 3 April 2006 (UTC)
 * 7) Support for both km/h and miles per hour except for speeds slower than 20 km/h or 10 miles per hour.--Jusjih 14:18, 3 May 2006 (UTC)
 * 8) Oppose - 5 KM/H and 5 MPH rounding is inaccurcute; and likely to result in drivers falsely using this getting a speeding ticket driving thru a speed trap. Jon 18:11, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
 * 9) Oppose - This is inaccurate and dumbs down the article. I expect to see precise information in an encyclopedia. Please don't second guess what I might be using the information for. --Rfsmit 19:47, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Round to the nearest 10 mph or 10 km/h

 * 1) Oppose - this introduces extreme inaccuracy. For example, 40 mph is equivalent to 64 km/h, but if rounded to 60 km/h, makes it 7% off from the true value. NFH 21:18, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 2) Oppose Softgrow 22:37, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 3) Support for kph speeds. Nova SS 04:11, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 4) Oppose--Patrick 12:08, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * 5) Oppose If you look at the case for shared roadways in Australia, this is an almost 20% error. 58.165.14.146 15:08, 31 March 2006 (UTC) Dean
 * 6) Oppose for both km/h and miles per hour.--Jusjih 14:19, 3 May 2006 (UTC)
 * 7) Oppose for some reason as the 5 MPH / 10 KM/H. Jon 18:10, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
 * 8) Oppose. With conversions to 1 sig. fig., you might as well leave them out, because people will be reaching for their calculators anyway.--Rfsmit 19:48, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

What the manual of style says
From the Wikipedia Manual of Style
 * Converted values should use a similar level of precision as the source value. For example, "the Moon is 380,000 kilometres (240,000 mi) from Earth", not "(236,121 mi)".

Based on that, it does not make sense to be more precise than to the nearest 5 kph or mph since they are ultimately pretty similar units of measure (i.e., they are equally useful for measuring distances between locations that humans normally travel).

I think this shuts down the debate in favor of rounding everything to the nearest 5.

Nova SS 03:40, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

 * Disagree. It says is if n digits of precision used in one measurement, then use n in another. So for example a 50 km/h limit which is specified in legislation (not 51 or 49) then two digits are used so this should be translated to 2 significant figures in some other units hence, 50km/h becomes 31mph, 46fps and 550 inches per second. Softgrow 07:56, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

 * Precision says that it is the units of the least significant digit of a measurement; for example, if a measurement is 17.130 meters then its precision is millimeters (one unit in the last place, or ulp, is 1 mm).

 * In that above example, the precision of 1 mm would not translate to a nice, round decimal value in the US measurement system. Therefore, the key concept is the smallest unit of measure used to determine a measurement.
 * (Yes it does. 56.20 ft. --Rfsmit 19:39, 22 May 2007 (UTC))

 * In practice, the precision on posted speed limits is never more precise than every 5 or 10 units. Unless you want to revise the manual of style, it does not make sense to use a precision smaller than 5 whole units, whether it be kmh or mph. Nova SS 13:59, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

 * Please read the section on history of Australian speed limits and comment on how rounding to the nearest 5 would work.

 * In the state of Victoria limits are enforced with a tolerance of 3km/h so a 100Km/h limit is 100+3/-0km/h (an effective limit of 103km/h). It is nonsensical to argue that the units digit has been rounded and the limit is 10 lots of 10km/h. The intent of the the legislation is quite clear as being to the nearest 1km/h so any translation should preserve that sense. The units of the limit should match the size of the practical tolerance. Softgrow 01:16, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

 * You are missing the point of the conversions. This is not a driving manual. The purpose of the conversions is to provide an equivalent in terms that drivers using different systems can easily understand and relate. If I was going to Australia, then I would need to be sure I can read and understand kmh speed limits. But as I am sitting here in America, converting, say, 100 kmh to 60 mph makes more sense to me than 62 mph. I know what 60 mph is, but 62 is less intuitive.

 * Governments use no less than 5 unit increments on regulatory/advisory speed limits. When talking about speed limits in an article about speed limits, let's maintain this precision level in the conversions. When we are talking about other things, such as Australia's unreasonably small tolerance (about 1.86 mph), it may be fine to revert to 1 unit or even small precision.

 * Kilometers and miles are very similar types of measurement, so it makes sense to comply with the Manual of Style and maintain similar precision.

 * Nova SS 02:32, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

 * "Governments use no less than 5 unit increments on regulatory/advisory speed limits." Not true.  In some parts of Chicago (for example) the posted speed limit is 12 MPH.  I should get a pic of the sign sometime.  --Kalmia 04:25, 22 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Even if you find a picture, that would be a highly unusual exception and not relevant to the discussion. Nova SS 13:42, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

 * (In response to Nova SS's previous comment) Actually, 62 mph is a better representation of 100 km/h than 60 mph, because it explains two things: 1. 100 km/h is equivalent but not equal to 60 mph, 2. 100 km/h is slightly faster than 60 mph. What valid reason is there for the article to remain dumbed down?--Rfsmit 19:39, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Minimum limits?
Across parts of Europe, a sign is defined for minimum speed limits - circular, white number on blue (UK). Are they any actual instances of these being used? 07:11, 14 March 2006 (UTC) Last time I went through the Mersey Tunnel - a while ago now.

Essential Physics Section
The essential physics section is full of bad science. First of all, as stated in the referenced article, kinetic energy is proportional to velocity squared, not force. The relation between force (on the occupant, for example) and speed is less straight-forward but should be closer to directly proportional. The statement that the probability of a fatality is related to the fourth power of speed is actually taken from the reference, but that's still obviously bogus. The relationship in the reference shows a 100% probablity of fatality with a delta-V of 71 mph, which can be trivially proven to be false. The relationship may approximate x^4 for some portion of the curve, but certainly not for high speeds. Toiyabe 23:26, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

 * You have some intriguing arguments. Would you mind expanding on this logic here? Nova SS 02:25, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

 * The kinetic energy of a vehicle: E = 0.5 * m * v^2. Work done in a collision with an immovable object: W = F * d, where F is the average force exerted on the vehicle, and d is the distance over which that force is exerted.  So,   F = .5 * m * v^2 / d, neglecting other energy sinks (this is a conservative neglection - including other energy sinks would decrease the average force calculation).  The problem is that d is also going to be dependant on v.  If the object that is collided with does not deform, d will be how much the vehicle crumples.  That is dependent on velocity.  The relationship between d and v will vary from vehicle to vehicle, and probably can only be determined experimentally through crash tests.  If d is directly proportional to v, then average force is also directly proportional to v.  Most likely, average force is proportional to something between v and v^2.

 * Now average force is not peak force. Peak force will also be highly dependent on the design of the vehicle.  Also, depending on how well the occupant is restrained, the peak acceleration of the vehicle may not be the peak acceleration on the occupant.  Anyway, this all may be needlessly complex, and if it was covered in the article, it could really use some input from an expert to fill in the gaps.  Why not just say that the kinetic energy involved in a collision is proportional to velocity squared?

 * If you say that the probability of anything is proportional to x^4, then it follows that there is some value of x where the probability is greater than 1 (in this case x > 71 mph), which is a bogus concept. The true curve for probability of fatality vs. speed is almost certainly an 's' type curve, with a low slope at low speeds and asymtopic to y = 1 at very high speeds.  The initial portion of the curve may be approximated by x^4, but it won't be for high speeds.  In this case, the article should say something like "The probability of a fatality is proportional to the fourth power of the speed change at impact for typical highway speeds". Toiyabe 16:07, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Original Research in 85th percentile rule
I have removed the following section that cites unpublished research (The section was previoulsy removed as POV when it lacked a source). Please refer to WP:NOR. To quote:

"Original research is a term used on Wikipedia to refer to material added to articles by Wikipedia editors that has not been published already by a reputable source. In this context it means unpublished theories, data, statements, concepts, arguments, and ideas; or any new interpretation, analysis, or synthesis of published data, statements, concepts, or arguments that, in the words of Wikipedia's co-founder Jimbo Wales, would amount to a "novel narrative or historical interpretation".

While at first glance this may appear to be a small adjustment, this effectively shifts speed limits from criminalizing only the fastest 15%--per the 85th percentile rule--to criminalizing the majority of drivers. A review of several Dallas-area speed limits shows that by setting speed limits on average 8 mph below the 85th percentile speed, 70% of drivers are criminalized.

Softgrow 21:59, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

 * The following quote from a NHTSA publication may serve as a partial replacement:

 * "Despite the fact that speed directly relates to the severity of a crash, the motoring public generally does not view speeding as a safety problem. Further, speed limits are generally viewed as guides with few, if any, consequences for being ignored.

 * Unfortunately, the highway profession has done little to change this perception. In fact, many things are done to reinforce the perception by drivers that speed limits are only guides including: posting speed limits far below the design speed of the highway; posting speed limits far below the 85th percentile speed; inability or unwillingness of enforcement agencies to enforce speeding violations; and, unwillingness of courts to adequately penalize offenders." Toiyabe 22:49, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

 * This whole 85th Percentile thing should be deleted from articles solely dealing with current speed limit. It's only realevent is it was one of the first methods used to initally set speed limits in the early 20th century. (This was prior to there being a large set of existing roads to compare to.) You certinatly can't beat a speeding ticket by claiming more than 15% of people go as fast as you do on that strength of road. Jon 16:06, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

 * Totally untrue. In many instances, especially roads with no speed-related safety problem, the 85th percentile speed is still the only factor that goes into applying speed limit. In fact, in Texas, the 85th percentile speed is the only mandatory factor in determining a speed zone. Other factors may be considered but are optional. Nova SS 01:17, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Chinese speed limit
I would like to request any citation for "on most roads, enforcement cameras are non-existent". I find at Wikitravel:Driving_in_China about photo radars, though I am unsure if they are common.--Jusjih 14:22, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Badly in need of some major housekeeping...
Boy, now _this_ article is some ugly mess... time to be bold.

First off, I've shuffled the sections around a bit and sorted the countries by continent, thereby hopefully making it a bit easier to navigate around. The Europe table has been spiced up, and the readings in mph removed as they cluttered the table quite a bit (with the exception of the UK, which still uses miles, so naturally they stayed there).

I suppose we'd be best off if entries for countries that still use miles list mph, and if countries that use km/h list km/h. Of course, no rule without exception; as the UK is pretty close to mainland Europe it'd be wise to list both measurements there. Elsewhere, let the Americans get a calculator...

I've tried to smooth out stuff a bit, moved inline URL references to the References section, removed some fluff and unbacked statements from the various countries' entries. The lower part of the article needs some serious copyediting, as it dwindles down into a desert of text. Any physicists around here that can spice it up a little? --Doco 12:19, 21 May 2006 (UTC)

News
http://www.planetjh.com/flip_2006_05_03.html DyslexicEditor 03:14, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Illegally slow limits?
Sometimes government gets carried away with making really slow speed limits in areas where there have been several accidents; sometimes to as low as 20 or 30 km/h. Can anyone provide any reference to the legality of this? Is there a certain speed limit which is unenforcable from a legal standpoint because it is set too low? I'm specifically interested in Ontario laws. Before you ask, no, I'm not trying to fight a ticket. Thanks. --RedACE 19:56, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

 * Maybe you should check the speed trap article. Jon 18:18, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

85 Percentage Rule section obsolete
Basically that was accurcute around the time automobiles came into common usage in the US on what to set speed limits initally to in the states, but it's since become totally obsolete. Instead when a new road is built, they sign it similarly to existing ones. Jon 18:17, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Please stop posting nonsense original research like this. Wikipedia is not a place to try out new theories. Nova SS 20:16, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

Request for Explanation
Can someone please write an explanation of the significance of the various columns in the table, so that those of us unfamiliar with German roadsigns can understand it? LuNatic 06:30, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I'll second that. Nova SS 13:57, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, the first column is for town & city speed limits, second column is for expressway (semi-motorway, dual-carriageway) and out of city speed limits and the third column for motorways (or highways). VI and V columns are for expressway/out of city and motorways, but for towing vehichles or HGVs (lorries).
 * However, I do believe these diagrams need replacing. They must be very hard to understand for users outside of Europe. Using text in lieu of the diagrams may be the best approach. I will do this soon as I can --Luke w 22:29, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Germany
I think it is the same in every country that there are low speed limits if there are roadworks - this is the same anywhere and does not belong here.

"... the insurance company may refuse to settle part of the bill if the driver...."

This has nothing to do with the speed of driving - only unsafe driving. This is just an assumption without any evidence. Insurance companies would have to prove that the speed of driving was unsafe, which could only happen if the police happened to do a speed control at the same time - and then the safety distance to the other cars is decisive, and not the speed of the car unless it was foggy or there was a speed limit.

"Porsche vehicles, for instance, are known for not having this restriction, and many aftermarket car tuners offer to remove the limiter. "

Every garage can do that and there are many other cars withouth an artificial speed limiter. This is unfair advertising for Porsche.

Germany is not like the USA. "Federal states" are not difference from each other and laws are national laws and always apply to specific parts of a motorway due to a particular reason.

"Although the concept of a nationwide law restricting Autobahn speeds to 120 or 130 km/h has been on the agenda of various political and environmentalist groups for decades, there are no definite plans for this at present."

In fact there are no plans...not even indefinite plans.
 * Actually, some of this is not quite correct. The Autobahn and the major Landstrassen are quite simply federal roads, so there's no reason to even expect states to introduce speed limits there, but this isn't really relevant since a law would only be relevant for a national speed limit, not for a local one which is simply an administrative act with laws merely covering what happens if you get caught breaking it. --OliverH 08:58, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

"A statewide binding speed limit of 130 km/h, for example, was established in Rhineland-Palatinate over a decade ago,"
 * To my mind, this is not quite correct. Rhineland-Palatinate imposed a speed limit of 130 km/h on the whole Rhineland-Palatinate part of the A 61 motorway, but still there are stretches of other motorways (e. g. A 60, A 63) still whithout speed limits. Posting speed limits or other restricitions state and local authorities must obey the frame conditions given by the road law (Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung, StVO). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.176.199.29 (talk) 20:39, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Roads without speed limits - qualification
Nepal has been recently added to the list in this section, which is technically correct but average speeds in Nepal are 40-50 Km/h. Whilst there are no limits vehicles never approach Autobahn-like speeds which a reader would expect from a road wihtout a limit. I've had a couple of attempts to fix this up but all look clumsy: Suggestions? Alex Sims 09:58, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Put some sort of qualification (say can actually exceed 100km/h)
 * Leave Nepal in but point out the speeds are quite low in practice
 * Delete the reference to Nepal (but it will probably come back)
 * Certainly don't delete the reference. It makes the valid point that traffic speeds are controlled by factors other than legal speed limits.  The entry could say something like "Nepal has average traffic speeds of 40-50 km/h and has no statutory speed limits set on any of its roads". -- de Facto (talk). 10:26, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

 * I concur with DeFacto. The situation is like that experienced by rural areas anywhere (see page 16 of footnote 6 of the main, that is, http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/speed_review/Speed_Review_Report.pdf which discusses removing posted limited in remote areas...]  Duke Ganote 14:43, 2 March 2007 (UTC)
 * I can't see the link between paved roads in far rural BC and Nepal. The situation is quite different. I'm sure that people already drive faster than 40-50 km/h in rural BC. Alex Sims 03:11, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
 * In my opinion, far rural BC and Nepal are similar in that "posted speed limits have little impact because they do not provide useful information that the driver needs to negotiate the rural area, especially during night time and inclement weather conditions." Duke Ganote 02:46, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Justification of speed limits
I was hoping to add a section on the justification of speed limits. I have heard a saying, "The right to swing my arms ends where the other person's nose begins". So, the justification of speed limits is other drivers have a right to be on a safe road that overrides other peoples right to speed. What about at night when there are no other drivers? Why is there still a speed limit? People have a right to slowly kill themselves by smoking, why can't they be allowed to put themselves at risk by speeding when no one else is around? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dragonsshadows (talk • contribs) 23:31, 3 March 2007 (UTC).

Italy
Actually the 150 km/h limit on some section of Italian "Autostrade" was approved but was never officially introducted.

In fact, the limit is valid only where is indicated, but as there is no section that shows a limit of 150, the maximum speed allowed in Italy is 130.

Also, on expressway the limit is of 110 km/h for cars and motorbikes (no different speed limit), valid only where if indicated.

Enforcement and ANPR
I've noticed a fact tag there and am wondering if the original editor meant to write about ANPR used for enforcement of speed limits and driving hour limits on heavy long distance vehicles such as the [Safe-T-Cam] in Australia, where cameras are hundreds of kilometers apart. Should I change the passage to reflect that approach or is there really a one mile apart based system? Alex Sims 06:42, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Speed Limit in Austria
I removed the 160 km/h limit because this particular speed test was limited to May and June 2006 and thus does not exist anymore. I kept the footnote (and enhanced it a little) because I think the fact that there was such a speed limit should also be recorded somewhere. See e.g. DerStandard

Alexander Forst-Rakoczy 07:19, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

UK residential speed limits
Residential speed limits are something like this:
 * 20 mph near many schools, neighbourhoods with no through route; some industrial estates and business estates
 * 30 mph as a default speed limit for areas with streetlamps
 * 40 mph for major through routes (with smaller “repeater signs” posted periodically to prevent the lower default kicking in)
 * 50 mph for some “Urban Clearways” and suburban through routes (again with repeaters)
 * So the Within Towns column should have “20-50 (32-80 km/h)” or “20-50 (30-80 km/h)” depending on your view on rounding. Also, what counts as a “Town”? If villages and hamlets do then the range goes up to 70 mph (which is 113, 110 or 100 km/h, to 3, 2 and 1 sig. fig.). --Rfsmit 20:00, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Non-mandatory or “suggested” speed limits
In addition to mandatory speed limits, the UK has non-enforceable “suggested speed limit” signs. They look somewhat like the US signs, only they are wider, with "MAX SPEED" to the left. There is no corresponding “end of suggestion” sign. Do other countries have a similar thing? (While they're unenforceable, they could probably be used to support a charge of “driving too fast for the conditions”.) It seems the US uses mandatory limits where in the UK a suggested limit would be posted.--Rfsmit 20:17, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

 * [[Image:IE road sign W-051-L.svg|thumb|right]][[Image:Advisory Curve Speed English 25.svg|thumb|75px|right]]You will find such signs in the USA for road directional changes. For example, if you are coming upon a curve, the speed limit might be 55 miles per hour (90 km/h) but a yellow sign (example given) will have an arrow indicating the curve and also a sign directly below saying 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). If you are able to travel the curve at 55, that is not illegal. However, if you cause an accident, you would almost certainly be held responsible under the "driving too fast for conditions provision" or perhaps "reckless operation of a motor vehicle".--Analogue Kid 20:52, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Evidence that raising speed limits doesn't increase accidents and can actually make the roads safer and that the UK used the 85th percentile speed
From a pre obsession with "Speed Kills!" policies UK government document on speed limit setting:

ANNEX E TO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT CIRCULAR ROADS 1/80

THE EFFECT OF ALTERING LEVELS OF SPEED LIMITS: SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

1. It is a common but mistaken belief that drivers allow themselves a set margin over the prevailing speed limit, and that if a limit is raised by 10 mph, they will travel 10 mph faster. In fact, an increase in an unrealistic speed limit rarely brings an increase in traffic speeds. ("Unrealistic" is here used to mean "substantially below the 85 percentile speed"). It is much more likely that there will be no change, or even a fall. It seems that drivers relieved of the frustrations of too low a limit rarely abuse the higher one. Indeed it is not unusual for the accident rate to fall when a poorly-observed limit is raised. This may mean that reduced frustration leads to changes in driving behaviour conducive to accident reduction.

2. The evidence for asserting that speeds and accidents do not increase in proportion to an increase in speed limit comes from studies made before and after unrealistic local limits have been raised. Some of the main evidence is summarised in paragraphs 3-9 below.

3. In 1960, a Departmental Road Safety Committee reporting on the results of the experimental introduction of 40 mph speed limits in the London area concluded that the raising of the limit had resulted in no appreciable change in speeds, while the accident rate remained substantially the same. The committee considered that the higher limit had achieved its purpose of removing unjustifiably low speed limits, and encouraging a proper standard of enforcement.

4. A before and after study carried out at 20 locations through Kent, where the limit had been raised from 30 mph to 40 mph, showed a fall in speed, or no change, in 80% of the measurements taken, and a small increase in the others. The total number of accidents fell by almost 20%.

5. In 1973 the Metropolitan Police produced the results of a study on six sections of trunk road where — in accordance with the Department's criteria — speed limits had been raised from 40 to 50 mph, or from 30 mph to 40 mph. At four locations the 85 percentile went up by less than 2 mph and at two locations it went down. Allowing for a general decrease in accidents, the reduction in the number of accidents at these places was 15%.

6. When the speed limit in Park Lane, London W1, was increased from 30 mph to 40 mph in 1970, the 85 percentile speed fell from 43.6 mph (measured in 1970) to 39.2 mph (measured in 1974).

7. In 1974, the Midland Road Safety Unit reported the results of a study of a large number of speed limit changes from 30 mph to 40 mph. Their conclusion that there had been no significant increase in either speeds or accidents was in line with the conclusions from a similar exercise for cases in other parts of the country carried out within the Department.

8. The Department has recently conducted a survey of the effects of changing the levels of speed limits in various parts of the country. The results indicate that raising speed limits has little effect either on the speeds of vehicles or the rates of accidents.

9. The following examples of local speed limit changes from 30 mph to 40 mph illustrate this point.

85th Percentile Speed Accident Rate County Road Before After Before After Cheshire A41 44 43 1.06 0.6 Lancashire B5253 43 37 0.78 0.85 West Yorkshire A58 40/43 47/52 1.45 0.65 Warwickshire A34 42/42 43/43 0.5 0.65 Warwickshire B4453 42/44 43/43 3.2 1 Surrey 40/42 47/40 41/41 45/37 The table above shows that, in the one instance in which speeds rose, the accident rate went down.

10. With the removal of the energy conservation speed limits in June 1977, the national speed limit went up from 50 to 60 mph on single carriageway roads and from 60 to 70 mph on dual carriageway roads. This afforded an ideal opportunity to judge if traffic responds to national speed limit changes in the same way as it does to local changes. A survey of speeds at 49 points throughout the country made in July 1977, compared with a similar survey in July 1976, showed that for cars and motorcycles with a headway of at least 5 seconds there was no change in the mean speed on single carriageway roads and a 1 mph on single carriageway roads and 2 mph on dual carriageway roads (sic). An analysis of national accident rates in the months following the changes shows no evidence that raising the limits caused any increase in the number of accidents.

=
========

Here's an another (21st century? I forget the year) government document (link now dead) which confirms how speed limits were supposed to be set and tries to get rid of the 85th percentile rule by, not to put too fine a point on it, lying about it's effects:

Update of Circular Roads 1/93, Setting Local Speed Limits

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_032880-05.hcsp#P126_18609

Section 3: The underlying principles of local speed limits

This section identifies who is responsible for determining local speed limits on which roads and the underlying principles behind determining appropriate speed limits.

Responsibility for local speed limits

22. The Highways Agency is responsible for determining local speed limits on the trunk road and motorway network, and Local Traffic Authorities for determining local speed limits on the local road network. In this Circular, the term Traffic Authority is used to denote both the Highways Agency and Local Traffic Authorities.

23. It is essential that Traffic Authorities collaborate with the police throughout when determining or considering any changes to speed limits. It is also important that neighbouring authorities work closely together, especially where roads cross boundaries, to ensure speed limits remain consistent.

24. All speed limits other than the default national limits are made by speed limit order. Further details are set out in Section 4, The Legislative Framework. Traffic Authorities must follow the full consultation procedure, details of which can be found in The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996, before any new speed limit is introduced.

Considerations in setting local speed limits

25. A study of types of accidents, their severity, causes and frequency together with a survey of traffic speeds should indicate whether an existing speed limit is appropriate for the type of road and mix of use by different groups of road users, or whether it needs to be changed. It may well be that a speed limit need not be changed if the accident rate can be improved by other speed management measures. These alternative options should always be considered before proceeding.

26. There will be roads or stretches of roads that suffer from poor compliance with the existing speed limit. Where this happens and the speed limit is considered to be appropriate for the road, there may be a mismatch between the appearance of the road and the driver or rider's perception of the risks of a collision or injury. If local engineering and/or education solutions have been tried and the road is either unsuitable or inappropriate for major engineering changes some form of enforcement may be necessary. However, it is again vital that Traffic Authorities discuss this with the police force responsible for enforcement before any remedial action is taken.

27. Before introducing or changing a local speed limit, Traffic Authorities will wish to satisfy themselves that the benefits exceed the disbenefits. Many of the costs and benefits do not have monetary values associated with them but Traffic Authorities should include an assessment of

Benefits:

Accident and casualty savings Reduced emissions Improvement to the environment Reduction in public anxiety Reduction in severance by fast moving traffic Improved conditions and facilities for vulnerable road users.

Disbenefits:

Increased journey times for motorised traffic Cost of associated engineering or other physical measures and their maintenance Negative environmental impact of engineering or other physical measures Cost and negative visual impact of signing Cost of enforcement.

The underlying principles

28. The underlying aim of speed management policies should be to achieve a 'safe' distribution of speeds which reflects the function of the road. This should mean an average speed appropriate to the prevailing conditions, and all vehicles moving at speeds as close to this average as possible.

29. The main purpose of local speed limits is to provide for situations where it is considered appropriate for drivers to adopt a speed that is lower than the national speed limit. However, that limit does not imply that it is a safe speed under all conditions and drivers should be encouraged to adopt still lower speeds if conditions warrant.

30. Any decision to change a speed limit must be taken with the full support of the police as they will be responsible for enforcing the new limit. If the new limit is set in isolation or is unrealistic it is likely that the police will not be able to enforce and the overall effect will have little impact on safety. It is also likely to cause problems if there are raised expectations in the local community but these are not delivered.

31. An important factor when setting a speed limit is what the road looks like to the road users, such as its geometry and adjacent land use. Drivers are likely to expect and respect lower limits, and be influenced when deciding on what is an appropriate speed, where they can see there are potential hazards, for example outside schools, in residential areas, and in shopping streets. A principal aim in determining appropriate speed limits should therefore be to alert drivers to changes in road geometry or environment.

32. However, different road users perceive risks differently and drivers and riders of motor vehicles do not have the same perception of the hazards of speed as do pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians. Furthermore sometimes the "messages" given by the road environment and geometry can be contradictory. Introducing or changing a local speed limit indicated by signing alone without accompanying education and effective engineering changes to the road itself is unlikely to have sufficient influence on driver behaviour to change actual speeds to below the new limit.

33. Speed limits should not be used to attempt to solve the problem of isolated hazards, such as a single road junction or a bend, since speed limits are difficult to enforce over such a short length. Other measures such as warning signs, junction improvements, superelevation of bends and new or improved street lighting are likely to be more effective. Similarly, the provision of adequate footways can be an effective means of ensuring pedestrian safety as an alternative to lowering a speed limit over a short distance.

34. As well as being a key indicator of whether a local speed limit is appropriate, the estimated collision and injury savings should also be a key factor when considering changes to a local speed limit.

35. The needs of vulnerable road users must be taken into account. Setting appropriate speed limits is an important element in urban safety management, with particular benefits for pedestrians and cyclists. Similarly as vehicle speeds are generally higher on rural roads, accident severity and the risk to vulnerable road users are also greater. Alerting drivers to the presence and needs of vulnerable road users should therefore be another principal aim in determining appropriate speed limits.

36. Drivers and riders of motor vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians will also have different views about what speed is appropriate on rural roads. There is also a difference of opinion as to what constitutes a reasonable balance between risk of an accident, travel efficiency and environmental impact. Speed brings benefits in terms of shorter travel times for people and goods but with inappropriate speed for the conditions come costs, the greatest of which is death and injury to people. Sometimes, but not always, the appropriate speed will be lower than the speed drivers are choosing at present. An acceptable balance between costs and benefits needs to be sought so that speed management policies take account of environmental, economic and social effects as well as the reduction in casualties they may achieve.

37. Circular 1/93 advised the use of 85th percentile speed to determine local speed limits. This refers to the speed at, or below, which 85 per cent of the traffic is travelling. Viewed another way it is the speed only 15 percent of drivers exceed. Practitioners' thinking has evolved since then and many have expressed concern that 85th percentile speed can be heavily influenced by excessive speeds travelled by a minority of drivers. Some Traffic Authorities have therefore adopted the use of Mean speeds in assessing what is an appropriate local speed limit, as they are felt to better reflect what the majority of drivers perceive as an appropriate speed for the road. The Department shares this view and therefore recommends that mean speeds be used in future assessments of appropriate speed limits.

38. For the majority of roads there is a consistent relationship between mean speed and 85th percentile speed. Where this is not the case, it will usually indicate that drivers have difficulty in deciding the appropriate speed for the road, suggesting that a better match between road design and speed limit is required. The aim should therefore be to align the local speed limit so that it is not substantially higher than the original mean speed driven on the road, and to achieve an outcome where the mean speed is at or below the posted speed limit for that road.

39. Within routes, separate assessments should be made for each length of road of 600 metres or more for which a different speed limit might be considered appropriate. When this is completed, the final choice of appropriate speed limit for individual sections might need to be adjusted to provide reasonable consistency over the route as a whole.

40. The minimum length of a speed limit should generally be not less than 600 metres to avoid too many changes of speed limit along the route. In exceptional circumstances this can be reduced to 400 metres. Anything shorter is not recommended. The length adopted for a limit will depend on the limit applied and also on the conditions at or beyond the end points. Where a limit would otherwise end on a steep gradient, a sharp bend, humpbacked bridge or other hazard, the restriction may need to be extended to clear the hazard. Similarly, an extension may be required to provide good visibility of the speed limit signs. A limit may also need to be extended to cover any new access to an industrial or residential estate.

41. Occasionally it may be appropriate to use a short length of 40mph or 50mph speed limit as a intermediate transition between a length of road subject to a national limit and another length on which a lower limit is in force, for example on the outskirts of villages or urban areas with adjoining intermittent development. However, the use of such transitional limits should be restricted to sections of road where immediate speed reduction causes real difficulty or is likely to be less effective. Research and experience has shown that a 'countdown' system of successive short lengths of road with mandatory limits at gradually decreasing speeds is not effective, and it should be avoided.

Note that in section 37 the 85th percentile speed can **NOT** "be heavily influenced by excessive speeds travelled by a minority of drivers"! If you start with twenty speeds spread evenly from 5mph to 100mph the 85th percentile speed is 85mph. It doesn't matter if the 100th percentile increases to a million mph, or even if the 90th, 95th and 100th do: THE 85TH percentile speed is ***still*** 85mph!!!! What they are proposing is to criminalise not just those driving way above the speed most people drive at, but HALF of the people who drive at typical speeds. And as people are forced to drive below this "average" speed the average will fall enabling another reduction in the limit which leads to........

I'll leave it to the experts to edit this into the article.

nvbn sdadjs sdnmmmmmmmmbh dj vgwarekgfsh v —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.73.67.30 (talk) 18:10, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Lack of speed limits in Indian States of UP and Kerala
As a resident of the state of Kerala I have myself responded to speed limits on highways in Kerala. If the article wants to prove otherwise, citations are needed rams81 (talk) 04:24, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

I have found a link for Speed limits in Kerala http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2002/05/16/stories/2002051600721900.htm

So there are defined speed limits for vehicles in Kerala, though it is usually sarcastically stated Kerala does not have speed limits. I am taking off Kerala from the list of places without speed limits. rams81 (talk) 19:45, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

German Version about streets without a general speed limit
In the german version they enumerate more countries like Afghanistan and Latvia: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempolimit#Stra.C3.9Fen_ohne_generelles_Tempolimit --84.141.203.108 (talk) 13:27, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

title: Talk:Speed limit/Archive 2


text:
Erlenbach, Switzerland

Erlenbach is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.

History
Erlenbach is first mentioned in 981 as Liber Heremi though this identification is questionable. Between 1173-90 it was mentioned as Erlibach.

Archeological digs have shown that there were settlements in Erlenbach more than 5,000 years ago. During Roman times an important road passed through what is now Erlenbach. The Alemanni settled in this village in the 6th century. In 981 the name Erlibach was first mentioned when the monastery of Einsiedeln acquired the land. Around 1400 the city of Zürich bought the land. Two castles Balp and Dachsberg are mentioned in old writings, but there is no evidence left.

On 6 October 1445 a small battle (Schlacht bey Ehrlibach) took place in Erlenbach. Troops from Zürich defeated wine thieves. In 1798 the village housed in turn French, Austrian, Russian, and eventually again French troops.

Until the middle of the 19th century, Erlenbach remained a small village with less than 1000 inhabitants, mainly engaged in wine growing. In 1835 the first school was built, but it had just two classrooms.

After World War II the village was very sought after and the population grew dramatically.

Geography
Erlenbach has an area of 3 km2. Of this area, 25.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 26.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 47% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). housing and buildings made up 37% of the total area, while transportation infrastructure made up the rest (10.1%). Of the total unproductive area, water (streams and lakes) made up 0.3% of the area. 46.3% of the total municipal area was undergoing some type of construction.

It is located on the north bank of the lake of Zürich, opposite Thalwil. The village is located on the Erlen stream (Erlen Bach) and along the Zürich-Rapperswil road. It includes the village and the outlying sections of Wyden, Winkel, Isler, Bindschädler and Lerchenberg.

Demographics
Erlenbach has a population (as of ) of. , 17.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. the gender distribution of the population was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 19.5%. Most of the population speaks German  (86.3%), with English being second most common ( 2.8%) and Italian being third ( 2.7%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the FDP which received 30.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (27.9%), the SPS (16.1%) and the CSP (10.1%).

The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 20.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 62.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.4%. About 82.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). There are 2041 households in Erlenbach.

Erlenbach has an unemployment rate of 1.59%. , there were 60 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 204 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 33 businesses in this sector. 1131 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 227 businesses in this sector. 50% of the working population were employed full-time, and 50% were employed part-time.

there were 1419 Catholics and 2146 Protestants in Erlenbach. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the, 47% were some type of Protestant, with 45.9% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church and 1.1% belonging to other Protestant churches. 29.2% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 0% were Muslim, 5.4% belonged to another religion (not listed), 2.4% did not give a religion, and 15.7% were atheist or agnostic.

The historical population is given in the following table:

Transportation
The development of a railway link between Zürich and Rapperswil had a great impact on the village. Bit by bit the village turned from an agricultural village to part of Zürich's agglomeration. There are two stations within the municipality, Erlenbach ZH station and Winkel am Zürichsee station. Both are stops of the S-Bahn Zürich on the lines S6 and S16. Tourist boat trips, run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, also sail from Zürich and Rapperswil.

Cultural Heritage
Located on Zürichsee lakeshore, Erlenbach–Winkel is part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, and the settlement is also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a Class object. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around 4 m to 7 m under the water level of 406 m.

title: Erlenbach, Switzerland


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File talk:Ph regions and provinces.png

Eugene, this map is one of the most professional ones I've seen so far on-line. I'd say that it's even better than the Britannica ones. Is there an unlabeled version so non-English Wikipedias can use it too? --Menchi 11:09 18 Jun 2003 (UTC)

 * Thanks! I really love maps, and making them is something I enjoy. :) Sure, I could upload a blank version. I was meaning to do that later, anyway. —seav 13:13 18 Jun 2003 (UTC)

 * Done. See [[Media:Ph_regions_and_provinces_blank.png]]. —seav 22:44 18 Jun 2003 (UTC)

 * I'll use it on the Chinese Wikipedia. I must! Since it looks too nice.
 * Is this the original version before you added the English labels? You didn't start from this English map and then remove the labels, right? (I assume so because the later methods would takes a long.....time.) --Menchi 22:59 18 Jun 2003 (UTC)

 * Well, my original source file had the labels on separate layers, so it was a matter of hiding those layers to get the blank version. I consider the labelled version the original because it originally was meant to have labels. :) —seav 05:05 19 Jun 2003 (UTC)

New Philippine Province
Maguindanao voters approve new province Last updated 04:17am (Mla time) 10/31/2006 Published on Page A14 of the October 31, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Voters in Maguindanao’s 29 municipalities have approved the creation of a new province to be composed of 10 towns, Of Maguindanao’s more than 500,000 registered voters, 285,372 favored the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan province. Only 8,802 voted against it.

Shariff Kabunsuan became the country’s 80th province and the 6th in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The new province, carved out of Maguindanao, is composed of the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Sultan Mastura, Parang, Buldon, Matanog and Barira.

ARMM is now composed of Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the city of Marawi.

The new province was named after an Arab-Malay Islamic preacher who introduced Islam in Central Mindanao in the 14th century.

The map needs updating
-- Howard  the   Duck  08:52, 25 November 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) New province - Shariff Kabununsuan
 * 2) Palawan now at Western Visayas
 * 3) Possibly new Dinagat province.

Map needs to updated
The map is really great but needs to be updated. 1. Palawan is still in Region 4-B (Mimaropa) 2. Dinagat Islands 3. Shariff Kabunsuan

--- Could you please add the provincial capitals of each provinces?

Sabah is part of Philippine Territory
The map concedes that Sabah is under Malaysian control, when in fact this is still disputed by the Philippine Government.

Re: Philippine map

 * Can we include KIG on the map?
 * Why is Zamboanga City separated from Zamboanga Sibugay but not Cebu, Davao etc. which are also independent cities? --Filipinayzd (talk) 10:01, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

Need Correction
Zamboanga City MUST have distinct color as Zamboanga City alone. it should NOT be associate that city to Zamboanga del Sur for Zamboanga City is never and/or never been part of Zamboanga del Sur. Zamboanga City is an Independent and a Chartered City, having it's own jurisdiction and Political Governmental affair. Zamboanga City is Zamboanga City. again, an Independent and a Chartered City in the Zamboanga Peninsula Region. zamboangueño latinos are very much sensitive with regards to this kind of issue. to be correct, it must be correctly indicated that Zamboanga Peninsula Region are composed and/or comprises of the ff: Zamboanga del Norte with Dipolog City as Capital city, Zamboanga del Sur with Pagadian as Capital City and New Regional Center, Zamboanga Sibugay with Ipil as it's Capital Municipality, Chartered City of Isabela and the Independet-Chartered City of Zamboanga as the Regional Industrial & Commercial Center and Region's University Belt. thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.42.64.98 (talk) 08:46, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Animated version of formation of provinces
Is it possible for the creator/s of this map to create an animated (.gif) version of the formation of PH provinces? There might be sufficient data for that since all provinces have foundation days and such. A finished product of this map might resemble this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_provinces_evolution_2.gif — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.28.6.230 (talk) 03:22, 6 October 2014 (UTC)  It could also include the evolution of regions (date of formation of region, date when region was adjusted, date when province so-and-so were transferred/removed from one region to another). If it is possible, the entire map should start during the Spanish era (as early as possible). Thank you.

 * I'll do it. – hueman1 (talk)  10:22, 2 July 2019 (UTC)

 * I'm still doing it. – hueman1 (talk)  09:52, 25 January 2020 (UTC)

New Philippine Region
As of May 2015, there are now 18 regions of the Philippines. Negros Island Region was approved by the President on 29 May 2015. The new region is comprised of the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, as well as the highly urbanized independent city of Bacolod.

Kindly update the maps as soon as possible. Thanks! Jmsay (talk) 12:26, 11 June 2015 (UTC)

title: File talk:Ph regions and provinces.png


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User:WhispertoTheWind

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title: User:WhispertoTheWind


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Tapir

Tapirs  are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America and Southeast Asia. They are one of three extant branches of Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), alongside equines and rhinoceroses. Only a single genus, Tapirus, is currently extant. Tapirs migrated into South America during the Pleistocene epoch from North America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama as part of the Great American Interchange. Tapirs were formerly present across North America, but became extinct in the region at the end of the Late Pleistocene, around 12,000 years ago.

Species
There are four widely recognized extant species of tapir, all in the genus Tapirus of the family Tapiridae. They are the South American tapir, the Malayan tapir, Baird's tapir, and the mountain tapir. In 2013, a group of researchers said they had identified a fifth species of tapir, the kabomani tapir. However, the existence of the kabomani tapir as a distinct species has been widely disputed, and recent genetic evidence further suggests that it actually is part of the species South American tapir.''

Extant species
The four species are all classified on the IUCN Red List as Endangered or Vulnerable. The tapirs have a number of extinct relatives in the superfamily Tapiroidea. The closest extant relatives of the tapirs are the other odd-toed ungulates, which include horses, wild asses, zebras and rhinoceroses.

Extinct species
During the Late Pleistocene, several other species inhabited North America, including Tapirus veroensis, native to the southern and eastern United States (with its northernmost records being New York State), and Tapirus merriami and Tapirus californicus, native to Western North America. These became extinct during the Quaternary extinction event around 12,000 years ago, along with most of the other large mammals of the Americas, co-inciding with the first arrival of humans to the continent. Tapirus augustus (formerly placed in Megatapirus), native to Southeast and East Asia, substantially larger than the Malayan tapir, also became extinct at some point during the Late Pleistocene.

General appearance

Size varies between types, but most tapirs are about 2 m long, stand about 1 m high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg. Their coats are short and range in colour from reddish brown, to grey, to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan tapir, which has a white, saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the mountain tapir, which has longer, woolly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rumps with stubby tails, and splayed, hooved toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them to walk on muddy and soft ground. Baby tapirs of all types have striped-and-spotted coats for camouflage.

Females have a single pair of mammary glands, and males have long penises relative to their body size.

Physical characteristics

The proboscis of the tapir is a highly flexible organ, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth to detect scents. This response is frequently exhibited by bulls sniffing for signs of other males or females in oestrus in the area. The length of the proboscis varies among species; Malayan tapirs have the longest snouts and Brazilian tapirs have the shortest. The evolution of tapir probosces, made up almost entirely of soft tissues rather than bony internal structures, gives the Tapiridae skull a unique form in comparison to other perissodactyls, with a larger sagittal crest, orbits positioned more rostrally, a posteriorly telescoped cranium, and a more elongated and retracted nasoincisive incisure.

Tapirs have brachyodont, or low-crowned teeth, that lack cementum. Their dental formula is: Totaling 42 to 44 teeth, this dentition is closer to that of equids, which may differ by one less canine, than their other perissodactyl relatives, rhinoceroses. Their incisors are chisel-shaped, with the third large, conical upper incisor separated by a short gap from the considerably smaller canine. A much longer gap is found between the canines and premolars, the first of which may be absent. Tapirs are lophodonts, and their cheek teeth have distinct lophs (ridges) between protocones, paracones, metacones and hypocones.

Tapirs have brown eyes, often with a bluish cast to them, which has been identified as corneal cloudiness, a condition most commonly found in Malayan tapirs. The exact etiology is unknown, but the cloudiness may be caused by excessive exposure to light or by trauma. However, the tapir's sensitive ears and strong sense of smell help to compensate for deficiencies in vision.

Tapirs have simple stomachs and are hindgut fermenters that ferment digested food in a large cecum.

Life cycle
Young tapirs reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age, with females maturing earlier than males. Under good conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years; a single young, called a calf, is born after a gestation of about 13 months. The natural lifespan of a tapir is about 25 to 30 years, both in the wild and in zoos. Apart from mothers and their young offspring, tapirs lead almost exclusively solitary lives.

Behaviour
Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and under water, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom, and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies. Along with freshwater lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which helps to keep them cool and free of insects.

In the wild, the tapir's diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves, particularly young, tender vegetation. Tapirs will spend many of their waking hours foraging along well-worn trails, snouts to the ground in search of food. Baird's tapirs have been observed to eat around 40 kg (85 lb) of vegetation in one day.

Tapirs are largely nocturnal and crepuscular, although the smaller mountain tapir of the Andes is generally more active during the day than its congeners. They have monocular vision.

Copulation may occur in or out of water. In captivity, mating pairs will often copulate several times during oestrus. Intromission lasts between 10 and 20 minutes.

Habitat, predation, and vulnerability
Adult tapirs are large enough to have few natural predators, and the thick skin on the backs of their necks helps to protect them from threats such as jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas, and tigers. The creatures are also able to run fairly quickly, considering their size and cumbersome appearance, finding shelter in the thick undergrowth of the forest or in water. Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and, more recently, habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species; the Brazilian tapir is classified as vulnerable, and Baird's tapir, the mountain tapir, and the Malayan tapir are endangered. According to 2022 study published in the Neotropical Biology and Conservation, the lowland tapir in the Atlantic Forest is at risk of complete extinction as a result of anthropogenic pressures, in particular hunting, deforestation and population isolation.

Evolution and natural history
Tapirs originated from the "tapiroids", a group of primitive perissodactyls that inhabited North America and Asia during the Eocene epoch, with tapirs probably originating from the family Helaletidae. The oldest known members of the family Tapiridae such as Protapirus are known from the Early Oligocene of Europe. The oldest representatives of the modern genus Tapirus appeared in Europe during the Mid-Miocene, with Tapirus dispersing into Asia and North America by the late Miocene. Tapirus became extinct in Europe around the end of the Pliocene. Tapirs dispersed into South America during Pleistocene as part of the Great American Biotic Interchange with their oldest records on the continent dating to around 2.6-1 million years ago.

Approximate divergence times based on a 2013 analysis of mtDNA sequences are 0.5 Ma for T. kabomani and the T. terrestris–T. pinchaque clade, 5 Ma for T. bairdii and the three South American tapirs, and 9 Ma for the branching of T. indicus. T. pinchaque arises from within a paraphyletic complex of T. terrestris populations.

Genetics

The species of tapir have the following chromosomal numbers:

The Malayan tapir, the species most isolated geographically and genetically, has a significantly smaller number of chromosomes and has been found to share fewer homologies with the three types of American tapirs. A number of conserved autosomes (13 between karyotypes of Baird's tapir and the South American tapir, and 15 between Baird's and the mountain tapir) have also been found in the American species that are not found in the Asian animal. However, geographic proximity is not an absolute predictor of genetic similarity; for instance, G-banded preparations have revealed Malayan, Baird's and South American tapirs have identical X chromosomes, while mountain tapirs are separated by a heterochromatic addition/deletion.

Lack of genetic diversity in tapir populations has become a major source of concern for conservationists. Habitat loss has isolated already small populations of wild tapirs, putting each group in greater danger of dying out completely. Even in zoos, genetic diversity is limited; all captive mountain tapirs, for example, are descended from only two founder individuals.

Hybrids of Baird's and the South American tapirs were bred at the San Francisco Zoo around 1969 and later produced a backcross second generation.

Conservation
A number of conservation projects have been started around the world. The Tapir Specialist Group, a unit of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, strives to conserve biological diversity by stimulating, developing, and conducting practical programs to study, save, restore, and manage the four species of tapir and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

The Baird's Tapir Project of Costa Rica, begun in 1994, is the longest ongoing tapir project in the world. It involves placing radio collars on tapirs in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park to study their social systems and habitat preferences.

The Lowland Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative is a conservation and research organization founded by Patrícia Medici, focused on tapir conservation in Brazil.

Attacks on humans
Tapirs are generally shy, but when scared they can defend themselves with their very powerful jaws. In 1998, a zookeeper in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed after opening the door to a female tapir's enclosure to push food inside (the tapir's two-month-old baby also occupied the cage at the time). In 2006, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Echandi (who was then the Costa Rican Environmental Minister) became lost in the Corcovado National Park and was found by a search party with a "nasty bite" from a wild tapir. In 2013, a two-year-old girl suffered stomach and arm injuries after being mauled by a South American tapir in Dublin Zoo during a supervised experience in the tapir enclosure. Dublin Zoo pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations and was ordered to pay €5,000 to charity. However, such examples are rare; for the most part, tapirs are likely to avoid confrontation in favour of running from predators, hiding, or, if possible, submerging themselves in nearby water until a threat is gone.

Frank Buck wrote about an attack by a tapir in 1926, which he described in his book, Bring 'Em Back Alive.

Folklore
Tapirs feature in the folklore of several cultures around the world. In Japan, tapirs are associated with the mythological Baku, believed to ward off nightmares. In South America, tapirs are associated with the creation of the earth.

title: Tapir