Speed Limit 85 (Austin, Post: how much, shop, to move)

[Pontificator]

85 mph + Attitudes = Disaster.

[MobileDave]

If people don't like the new purposed speed limit than don't get on the tollway.

I'm already kind of sick of the people who think 75 is too fast and choose to go 70. All these people do is create a dangerous situation when they try to pass someone via the left lane who feels the same way and is going 69. Now you have people doing the posted speed limit of 75 stuck behind you bumper-to-bumper creating a dangerous situation. And we all know the actual flow of traffic is more around 80.

I really like all of the new signs though that say "slower traffic keep right" or "left lane for passing only." I wish they would add these in the big cities because gawd knows we need them.

Moral of the story: Don't try to be a faux policeman with you car and use your speed to police the streets.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by hsw

Great stuff; TX leading the way vs CA (let alone rest of primitive US) with a private tollway w/presumably smooth fwys

Great stuff?
That toll road has been in place for years (Austin bypass) and NOBODY uses it.
The only reason they are raising the speed limit on it is as a form of government subsidy to encourage people to drive on it.

[tstone]

Back in '07 I drove to CA and it's 80 west of Kerrville, but I set the cruise at about 87-88 and flew right along without any problems. I used to drive from Houston to Port Arthur for work and east of Baytown everyone would go about 75-85... again, not a big deal.

And that toll road around Austin is now limited at 80 mph. I drove it a couple weeks ago and most drivers were going 75-85, also no issues. The biggest problem I see with that toll road is if you fly off the road, you'll fall down into some steep drainage pits on the sides and disintegrate. They really need to put a barrier up there like I-10 between Houston and SA.

I also agree with the above that say if you can't handle over 70, then either move to the right lane or get off the road. Nothing is more dangerous than a slow-poke who won't get out of the way. You may also want to get your car checked, just about any car built over the last 20 years can easily handle 85 if it's in good repair.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by asubram3

Agreed! Three years ago I drove all the way from Phoenix to Dallas and the I-10/I-20 stretch from El Paso to somewhere close to Midland at 80 mph was the best!

Exactly. I use to drive that one and maybe a mistake of driving after dark when the lmit dropped to 65, Ive heard that oversight had been corrected now. Most newer cars can handle 85 safely if the driver is able to as well. I drive as fast as I need to get around the "bunched up cars who insist on driving side by side or in close single file form". That is a dangerous group to be around, I can drive 85 to get by the crowd quickly and find an open spot in the road to move at what ever speed it take to keep from driving with cars all around me. Definsive driving use to take this approach and it is appropriate to me to be safe... its other vehicles that more likely to cause an accident than speed if your car can handle a speed safely

[love roses]

With people now thinking driving 70-80 is too slow, I really think that there should be something called the leadfoot lane where people can drive way over the speed limit, even if it is 85. That way they only have themselves to blame for accidents, because of course they are the best drivers ever born and there would be no slow drivers to blame it on because noone in the leadfoot lane would be allowed to drive under 100.

[love roses]

"Most newer cars can handle 85 safely if the driver is able to as well."

The problem with this is that all the people in this forum who are saying people who drive 70 are dangerous for going too slow are positive that they can do this (handle their cars/giant trucks/suv's at higher than 85 speeds). How am I to know that they really can just because they are saying so on a forum? And they probably aren't limiting themselves to 85, but going much faster, like 95-100 because many of the comments about speeding on these forums say they drive at least 10 over all the time, sometimes faster. These people will be flying down the highways pulling out cellphones, texting, probably a few dangerous people drinking, getting distracted by kids and taking their eyes off the road, etc....

[love roses]

"Back in '07 I drove to CA and it's 80 west of Kerrville, but I set the cruise at about 87-88 and flew right along without any problems. "

That's easy to do once you hit the straight freeway, however, that's with perfect conditions....no rain or oil slick roadway, no debris in the road or animal running out into the road. It's hard to come to a stop just going 30-50, so I'm scared to know what would happen to someone in a car going upwards of 85 if one of those scenarios occured. I think there are more people out there than not just thinking, "yay!! I can drive really fast now!" and then don't think defensively like this. Teenagers are one of those groups that come to mind.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Great stuff?
That toll road has been in place for years (Austin bypass) and NOBODY uses it.
The only reason they are raising the speed limit on it is as a form of government subsidy to encourage people to drive on it.

This is probably the main reason.

[love roses]

"Moral of the story: Don't try to be a faux policeman with you car and use your speed to police the streets."

This doesn't describe me, but I'm beginning to feel like there are some speeders out there who try and police the streets with their cars too....tailgating, flashing lights, cutting people off and oftentimes they are doing this to people who are driving the speed limit or even at least 5 over, but because they want to "put the pedal to the metal" there should be no other cars anywhere on the roadway but them, and even though the left lane is for passing only, they drive in it the entire way because they don't want to have to slow down for anyone they might encounter who is being a diligent driver staying in the slow lane. I know not all faster drivers do that, but here in Austin it's a problem. Fast drivers need to quit pushing people in the right lanes to go as fast as they want them to. You've got a fast lane....get over there and go around me.