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It’s not a mistake.
In a bid to grab drivers’ attention, a county in Wisconsin has implemented an unconventional speed limit of 17.3 mph within a specific high-traffic zone.
Authorities in Outagamie County have introduced this peculiar speed limit at their Recycling and Solid Waste facility. This site is bustling with trucks, contractors, and local residents, creating a busy and potentially dangerous setting.
County officials explain that this precise figure wasn’t chosen randomly — it’s a strategic move meant to engage drivers’ minds.
Motorists in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, are doing double-takes since the Recycling & Solid Waste facility decided to post a distinctive 17.3 mph speed limit sign in the vicinity.
“Why 17.3? Because it makes you pause. It makes you look twice,” officials said in a social media post announcing the change. The goal, they say, is to snap drivers out of “autopilot” and force them to pay closer attention to speed and safety while behind the wheel.
The site sees steady traffic from large hauling vehicles and smaller passenger cars, often moving in tight quarters.
A roadway leads into Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, Wis. (iStock)
The county believes the unconventional speed limit is a small change that will get drivers to slow down, stay alert and watch out for others.
Whether it catches on elsewhere remains to be seen, but for now, 17.3 mph is turning heads in Wisconsin.
“Worked last weekend when I was there. Made us laugh,” one user replied to the post.
A rural road in Wisconsin is lined with scrub oaks and powerlines, with corn and farm fields visible to the left in early fall. (iStock)
Other users, however, were skeptical of the move.
“Sounds like something outagamie would do,” another user wrote. “Plus you’ll get speeding for 17.4 and impeding traffic at 17.2, everyone gonna be paying up.”
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