80 MPH in Idaho (Pocatello, Idaho Falls: neighborhoods, calculated, income)

[Craziaskowboi]

Idaho: A forward-thinking state.

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Yup.
Speed, inexperience and black ice often allow no second chances.
Young drivers can be prone to falling asleep at the wheel in any weather, too.

Excellent point. I went to college in Logan, UT, but drove home to Boise about once a month (weather permitting, which it didn't always). The biggest hazards for me were wind and tiredness, partly due to the monotony of the drive. Not much difference between 75 and 80 for those.

Originally Posted by pw72

The new signs for 80 on rural Idaho Interstates are now up. Will you cruise at 80, or will do the +5? The ISP say there will be little leeway for those over 80.

Honestly, for years, I've just set my cruise at about 82-83. I'll continue to do that. 85 is about my max long term driving speed at which I'm comfortable. If I was driving a high powered sports car, that would likely be different, but my Saturn is happy about 80-85.

I'm happy this got passed, but as I said back in February, not a lot of difference between 75 and 80.

Freeways in Southern Idaho are long, boring, without much going on. I used to drive them a lot, and I had times when I went 50 miles without seeing another car moving my direction. To keep myself awake, I'd do things like an experiment to check the alignment on my car, seeing how far I could drive without touching the steering wheel (further than I expected, I think my personal best was around 3 miles, including a slight curve in the road, that must have been banked, because the car made the corner on its own). You can't do that sort of thing if there is any traffic at all. But many days, there wasn't. Granted that was 15 years ago, but there is still not that much traffic on the roads compared to much of the country. I don't think 80 is out of line.

[chevpu1967]

Just when the moose get used to cars going 70 and can judge when you jump in front of you and survive, the state raises the limit. I hope the moose got the memo.

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by chevpu1967

Just when the moose get used to cars going 70 and can judge when you jump in front of you and survive, the state raises the limit. I hope the moose got the memo.

I get your point, but moose was the wrong animal to choose. In the 100+ times I've driven on I84 and I86, I've never once seen a moose from the freeway, or a roadkill moose. Deer on the other hand...

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Lacerta

I get your point, but moose was the wrong animal to choose. In the 100+ times I've driven on I84 and I86, I've never once seen a moose from the freeway, or a roadkill moose. Deer on the other hand...

Knock on wood. Any critter can find an Interstate here.

[chevpu1967]

Thank you for clarifying that for me. Of course, I wouldn't want to hit either one, regardless of the speed limit.

[Syringaloid]

80mph. Big Deal. Almost everyone drives at least 85 to 90mph anyways between Mountain Home and Pocatello or the Utah state line. You just have to watch out for the state cops in the Twin Falls area.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

80mph. Big Deal. Almost everyone drives at least 85 to 90mph anyways between Mountain Home and Pocatello or the Utah state line. You just have to watch out for the state cops in the Twin Falls area.

Yup.
I have to watch myself. I have a speedy car that likes to go 90. I-15 can be a speed trap at points all the way through Idaho from the Utah border to the Montana border. I always play it safe by setting my cruise control exactly on the speed limit and using it until a feel for that speed settles in.

After a while, I've found that unless there is some purpose to getting to my destination sooner, the speed limit is a more comfortable cruise for me.

Two-lane speed limits need to be mentioned here, too. There are a lot of 2-lanes in this state where a capable driver and car can go much faster than 65. An 80 mph ticket is going to cost a lot more on those roads when a driver's busted. (I speak from bitter experience.)

One other thing that bears mentioning are weather conditions. As all Idahoans know, the summer skies can be clear blue, and 60 miles down the road there can be a fierce hailstorm happening. Driving into a summer hailstorm is like suddenly trying to stay in control on a highway covered with roller bearings if the speed is too fast. Winter driving is much more predictable. Be sure to keep an eye on the skies far ahead of where you are on a cruise; thunderstorms ahead are easy to see if a driver isn't only keeping eyes on the road only.

it also pays to watch for irrigation sprinklers that are in operation close to a road. Those big sprinklers can dump a lot of water on a highway on a breezy day, and some crews are pretty sloppy when it comes to packing irrigation pipe around. A driver can suddenly find themselves in a slick spot that's totally unexpected.

Drive for the conditions. 30 mph is still a lot faster than being stuck on the side of the road after a skid, even if the speed limit is 80.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Yup.
I have to watch myself. I have a speedy car that likes to go 90. I-15 can be a speed trap at points all the way through Idaho from the Utah border to the Montana border. I always play it safe by setting my cruise control exactly on the speed limit and using it until a feel for that speed settles in.

After a while, I've found that unless there is some purpose to getting to my destination sooner, the speed limit is a more comfortable cruise for me.

Two-lane speed limits need to be mentioned here, too. There are a lot of 2-lanes in this state where a capable driver and car can go much faster than 65. An 80 mph ticket is going to cost a lot more on those roads when a driver's busted. (I speak from bitter experience.)

One other thing that bears mentioning are weather conditions. As all Idahoans know, the summer skies can be clear blue, and 60 miles down the road there can be a fierce hailstorm happening. Driving into a summer hailstorm is like suddenly trying to stay in control on a highway covered with roller bearings if the speed is too fast. Winter driving is much more predictable. Be sure to keep an eye on the skies far ahead of where you are on a cruise; thunderstorms ahead are easy to see if a driver isn't only keeping eyes on the road only.

it also pays to watch for irrigation sprinklers that are in operation close to a road. Those big sprinklers can dump a lot of water on a highway on a breezy day, and some crews are pretty sloppy when it comes to packing irrigation pipe around. A driver can suddenly find themselves in a slick spot that's totally unexpected.

Drive for the conditions. 30 mph is still a lot faster than being stuck on the side of the road after a skid, even if the speed limit is 80.

Some good reminders, Mike. I drive around pivots each time I drive so I don't think to tell others. The other problem those not familiar with them may or may not realize is when they were moved at 6:00 a.m. the water pressure was a certain amount. They are set to not hit roads, but often during the day there will be a time there is more pressure. Consequently, roads get water on them too.

I'm use to the 80 mph from UT. Maybe I can state my concern simply as those teens who didn't take Driver's Ed at 80 mph speeds. Some lack the judgement to know what a safe speed is.

For me, I have the opposite problem. After 80 mph, it's hard for me to stay at 50 on the back roads

[elousv]

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