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Old 01-29-2014, 06:09 PM
 
Location: SE Michigan
6,191 posts, read 18,104,857 times
Reputation: 10355

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Quote:
Originally Posted by DTWflyer View Post
It works both ways. There is a reasonable speed there are those going too high and too low.

I've seen in Northern Michigan and Detroit area.

On one hand you get the crazy big-SUV driving people flying by at 60+ mph.

On the other hand you get the beater car with one headlight, frost on the inside of the windows, cleared a small patch on their windshield, doing 10 mph with a line-up of 20 cars behind them.

In reality, the reasonable speed is probably somewhere around 35 mph and plenty of spacing.
QFT.

Except I'd say on typical severely-bad-road conditions in SE MI a sensible/conservative speed is 50 mph, give or take. And stay in the right or next-to-right lane so you're not holding anyone up! Terrified, unpredictable drivers are a freaking hazard...if you're not confident in your skill and your vehicle to at least drive at the average speed, please stay home.

If the safe driving speed is TRULY only 20 mph, that is just simply unsafe and people shouldn't be out on the roads without damn good reason. That's an unsafe speed on an interstate for sure.

I have going on 40 years of snow-country and mountain driving, plus I have years of experience driving a semi-truck and have driven many thousands of miles on four continents, all accident-free. I'm most certainly not a slow driver in general (quite the opposite actually) but when roads are crappy and unpredictable I'm right there in the average speed and doing my best to stay away from packs of other motorists.

That said I agree with the OP - driving "too fast for conditions" IS undoubtedly the most common reason for accidents. Except that IMHO a close second would be inexperienced or overly-nervous drivers.
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Old 01-29-2014, 08:40 PM
 
1,317 posts, read 1,923,092 times
Reputation: 1925
Yep.

I see it all the time when some terrified soul gets on the highway and will go 15-20mph when the other 95% of cars are able to do 35-40mph. In Metro Detroit it makes no sense, if you are going to go 20mph why did you get on I-75? Stay on the surface streets.

Agreed if traffic has to be that slow, stay home unless its absolutely crtical to be out.

Up north, there have been a few times I have gotten off of the highwaey because of the crazy speeding SUVs in poor weather. Driving up north on Friday nights, you would hit the lake effect snow squalls and white-out conditions on I-75 and these crazy SUV and/or trucks pulling huge snowmobile trailers would still be going 70 mph. When visibility would go to nearly zero in an instant. In those conditions, I'd get off I-75 and use Old 27 which seemed a lot more safe than risking getting in a 30-car pile-up.
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Old 01-30-2014, 08:37 AM
 
Location: Michigan
1,217 posts, read 3,266,053 times
Reputation: 562
This guy looked liked an experienced confident driver in his SUV. But I guess even ***** happens to them too.


SUV Disintegrated into Pieces by Head On Collision with 18 Wheeler - YouTube
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Old 01-30-2014, 08:54 AM
 
Location: North of Canada, but not the Arctic
20,983 posts, read 19,442,353 times
Reputation: 25456
Oh my gawd! Maybe going 20 would have been preferable.
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Old 01-30-2014, 09:59 AM
 
Location: Michigan
1,217 posts, read 3,266,053 times
Reputation: 562
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retroit View Post
Oh my gawd! Maybe going 20 would have been preferable.
The roads were not all that bad either. Slushy, but you could see the pavement and everyone was driving at a good pace. Personally I ride in the right lane on roads like that. My heart sinks every time I see this video.
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Old 01-30-2014, 10:21 AM
 
Location: North of Canada, but not the Arctic
20,983 posts, read 19,442,353 times
Reputation: 25456
Yeah, it appears the driver tried to make a quick adjustment while he/she was on the slushy strip between the cleared tire-track strips.

In conditions like this I try to grab the steering wheel with both hands and keep my elbows planted on the arm rests. This discourages the abrupt lane correcting maneuvers that normally wouldn't be a problem on dry roads. (Not sure if that is a good technique or not, but it has worked so far.)

Another thing that is worth repeating for inexperienced drivers: Never use cruise control if the roads are wet or contaminated in any way.
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Old 01-30-2014, 02:05 PM
 
Location: West Michigan
12,082 posts, read 38,740,525 times
Reputation: 17006
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGatti View Post
This guy looked liked an experienced confident driver in his SUV. But I guess even ***** happens to them too.
Look at all those frigging Idiots in the right lane, going slow and impeding the flow of traffic, they forced that poor guy in the SUV to go blowing by them. (sarcastic font used)

The sad part is, I am sure there are those who actually think that way. Road doesn't look too bad in that video, but the driver sure did pay a heavy price for having too much confidence. Plus he put a HUGE burden on that truck driver with his thoughtless and dangerous driving. The poor guy will have to live with the sight of the SUV coming completely undone on the front of his truck for the rest of his life.

Idiots. If you are traveling faster than the average vehicle... you are going to fast, no matter what you think personally.
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Old 01-30-2014, 04:18 PM
 
Location: Bliss Township, Michigan
6,424 posts, read 13,181,753 times
Reputation: 6902
The fact is, driving too slow can and is a very big hazard. Way to many time to count have I been behind someone that was driving too slow, heading for a good sized hill, and low and be hold, they can't make it up, causing a major backup because they are too damn stupid to be driving in snow.
Another instance is when the has some snow, no big deal though, and some jackwad is driving so slow they are backing the traffic 10-20 cars back. This is another person that should be driving in snow.
I could create a long list of examples of why slow people can be just as big a hazard as those that drive too fast.
It's simple...if you are afraid of driving in snow...don't, and get off the road.
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Old 01-30-2014, 05:09 PM
 
104 posts, read 240,778 times
Reputation: 116
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nephler View Post
Way to many time to count have I been behind someone that was driving too slow, heading for a good sized hill, and low and be hold, they can't make it up, causing a major backup because they are too damn stupid to be driving in snow.
I've never driven on any really significant inclines during winter... Everything is so flat around the Saginaw Bay region and that is where the majority of my winter driving experience comes from. I'd be liable to make an ass of myself sliding around the hills up north if I ever decide to go up during winter for skiing or whatever reason.
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Old 01-30-2014, 05:32 PM
 
Location: SE Michigan
6,191 posts, read 18,104,857 times
Reputation: 10355
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGatti View Post
This guy looked liked an experienced confident driver in his SUV. But I guess even ***** happens to them too.


SUV Disintegrated into Pieces by Head On Collision with 18 Wheeler - YouTube
OMG, that is horrible, the poor people in that vehicle and it can't have been easy for the truck driver that hit them either.
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