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One of my highway peeves is fast drivers who drive at or above the posted speed limit in heavy fog or rain (doesn't snow where I live). They're usually the same ones that don't turn on their headlights in such weather. I now lower my highway speed to 65 mph to save gas. However, I say in the right lane unless passing or allowing traffic to merge onto the highway.
To the OP, you say you drive 100 miles a day. OK, assuming you're driving 50 miles on the interstate at 70 mph, you'll reach your destination in 42.8 minutes. If you drive that same distance, you'll reach your destination in 35.3 minutes. That's a saving of 7.5 minutes. Is speeding worth 7.5 minutes, the risk of speeding tickets, and risking not only your life, but the lives of others on the road with you? The higher the speed of the crash, the greater the chance of a fatality even in the best built private personal mass produced vehicle.
To the OP, you say you drive 100 miles a day. OK, assuming you're driving 50 miles on the interstate at 70 mph, you'll reach your destination in 42.8 minutes. If you drive that same distance, you'll reach your destination in 35.3 minutes. That's a saving of 7.5 minutes. Is speeding worth 7.5 minutes, the risk of speeding tickets, and risking not only your life, but the lives of others on the road with you? The higher the speed of the crash, the greater the chance of a fatality even in the best built private personal mass produced vehicle.
I agree 100% ,You have seen the same reports and info I have.A picture for the speed law breakers..
As a guy who just got back from Europe (Germany) i have to say driving here is absolutely terrible! If you're a "car enthusiast" I vote to go to Germany, drive the autobahn, and come back and write your congressman. We have numerous issues with drivers in this country, and our freedom is what limits us! We expect to be able to eat a cheeseburger, drink a coke, and have a 20 minute phone conversation all while happily cruising down the highway. The end result is, we pay for it not only in the 7.5 minutes extra, but loss of life and limb because of inattentive and distracted drivers.
The most amazing thing I felt while driving overseas, was how comfortable I was at 90-100 mph. Slower traffic keeps right, left lane's used for passing, speed limits are there for a good reason (construction, congestion, etc), and NO ONE was using a cell phone (at least not that I observed). It was fantastic, my happy medium cruising speed was about 100 mph, and I had the joy of going about 130 mph and things felt perfectly safe and happy. We need a combination of better roads and more intensive driver training, but there's no reason we shouldn't be able to improve highway safety, and increase highway speed at the same time. Often enough, the vehicles are the same being sold in the US and overseas. Ours tend to have more "passive" safety features (that help you after you get in a wreck) whereas many European cars have "Active" safety features to help you avoid the wreck in the first place, but even still I watched Hyundai Sonata's pass me at 100+, and even 10-15 year old Honda Civics...
I say, lets get people trained to drive properly, place more stringent restrictions on license renewals/testing/etc, let the police look out for "dangerous" driving and not 5-10 mph over the posted speed limits, and let Americans zip down the interstate system that spans our amazing country!!! (PS - i'll be running for office, send your votes my way) :P (jk)
So from what most people here are saying is the posted speed limits dont really mean much. With almost 50 thousand traffic deaths a year and according to the national highway safety commission MOST FATAL ACCIDENTS ARE SPEED RELATED... I believe the speed limits do matter.....PS . speed limits have never been set because of the types of new cars being sold...where in the land of OZ did that idea come from? lol Check the data folks. If you dont know ask a HIGHWAY PATROLMAN....or do his answers also mean nothing?
Regardless of the speed, if you're not paying attention, chances of getting involve in an accident is very high. The speed factor only contributes to whether you'll walk away from it. Speed limits does not prevent stupidity.
From my own experience, driving at any posted speed limit below 60 on a highway and staying in the right lane resulted into me getting tailgated or having a vehicle behind me swerving into the opposite lane because they were not paying attention.
So from what most people here are saying is the posted speed limits dont really mean much. With almost 50 thousand traffic deaths a year and according to the national highway safety commissionMOST FATAL ACCIDENTS ARE SPEED RELATED... I believe the speed limits do matter.....PS . speed limits have never been set because of the types of new cars being sold...where in the land of OZ did that idea come from? lol Check the data folks. If you dont know ask a HIGHWAY PATROLMAN....or do his answers also mean nothing?
I have many friends that are cops. Cops are just like you and I off duty but on duty their job is to enforce the law. If ridden in their cars with them planty of times...do they do the speed limit, um..no. I also asked why they pull people over for talking on a cell phone while driving when they themselves are not only talking on their phone, driving, and playing on their laptop at the same time and their answers were all quite similiar "we have special training". Of course I dont belive a word of it but they do stuff all the time that they bust us for but its ok for them to do.
If speeding was so unsafe they would never break the speed limit either. How many times have you seen a cop blow by you on the road with no where to go? Again, My one friend is a sheriff and his excuse is that he wont get a ticket if he gets pulled over because hes a cop in his POV.
Now on duty it is there job to enforce the speed limit. Just because a speed limit is set in place does not mean that it is unsafe to drive faster, it just means that you are breaking the speed limit and have a greater chance of getting pulled over.
If you know how to handle your car, use your turn signal, focus on the road, keep a safe distance between cars, there is absolutely nothing unsafe about driving fast. WHat is unsafe is the oblivious guy driving in the left lane blocking the lanes of traffic so no one can get past.
my issue with the left lane drivers, are to those who fly up on my arse when i am already exceding the limit to get around someone else.... then they ride my bumper like they are drafting in a nascar pack..
the limits here are 70, so if i'm going over the limit to pass someone who's traveling under, i'll get around the car and move back over like i should. But if someone is an idiot flashing their lights so i go even faster for them?? sorry but i'm not that courteous. respect on the road flows both ways, and i sure as hell aint gonna get a ticket after racing to 80-90+ to allow some dipstick to get his way..
So from what most people here are saying is the posted speed limits dont really mean much. With almost 50 thousand traffic deaths a year and according to the national highway safety commission MOST FATAL ACCIDENTS ARE SPEED RELATED... I believe the speed limits do matter.....PS . speed limits have never been set because of the types of new cars being sold...where in the land of OZ did that idea come from? lol Check the data folks. If you dont know ask a HIGHWAY PATROLMAN....or do his answers also mean nothing?
If you do some research, you will find that the bolded part is BS. They put speed related on a report even when it isn't.
my issue with the left lane drivers, are to those who fly up on my arse when i am already exceding the limit to get around someone else.... then they ride my bumper like they are drafting in a nascar pack..
the limits here are 70, so if i'm going over the limit to pass someone who's traveling under, i'll get around the car and move back over like i should. But if someone is an idiot flashing their lights so i go even faster for them?? sorry but i'm not that courteous. respect on the road flows both ways, and i sure as hell aint gonna get a ticket after racing to 80-90+ to allow some dipstick to get his way..
just my .02
If someone flashes their lights at me I do nothing to accomodate them. I am a fast driver and I am aware of who is around me. I am focused, so I obviously see someone coming up behind me and will do my best to move over for them. The second they start flashing their lights is when I realize that I have an a**hole behind me. Like I said I cruise down the highway between 75 and 80, its not like I am going 60. I also dont flash my lights at people because I find most people are oblivious to the fact that they are blocking cars behind them and flashing lights would just be a waste of time.
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