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If I'm driving on a city street with normal pedestrian traffic during a busy time of day, I'm not bothered by someone doing 25-30. There's no reason to speed.
However, If I'm on a highway in light traffic with 55 posted and someone is in the left most lane going 55...It thoroughly annoys me, to the point where I will pass them ASAP. Im sorry, but regardless of the posted limit, if you're going slower than the general flow on a highway, you're the one that's compromising safety.
I have no problem with someone going the limit on the highway, as long as they are not in the passing lane.
There are a lot of things about city driving that annoy me but obeying the speed limit is not one of them, especially b/c cities have a lot of traffic, construction and just random craziness, so it's best to drive cautiously.
I can't stand it when drivers speed in residential areas (where the limit is 25-30 m.p.h.) There is a reason why there is a limit: there are people walking with their dogs, jogging biking, kids playing, animals crossing and many streets here do not have sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, etc. Yet people fly down the street at 40+ m.p.h.
I never judge people going the speed limit. There are areas i know where people get pulled over for doing +1mph over.
What I don't like are people on interstates or highways in the left lanes going the speed limit or under. Especially if we're talking 3+ lanes they should be in the right or middle lane.
Only when the posted limit is just unrealistically slow, and then I'm not angry at the driver, I'm angry at whoever set the speed limit.
But I'm the guy doing that unrealistically slow speed on one road that's on my way home from work. Something about that road gives me the heebie-jeebies, and every day I fully expect a police car to be shooting radar as I crest the hill. I set my cruise control as soon as I turn onto the road, and I've had a parade behind me by the time I get to the end of it.
I've found with back roads that if the posted speed limit is reasonable you won't even notice if the person in front of you is going exactly at the limit. It's where the limits are artificially low that it may seem to be a problem. In those cases though they may be revenue generators more than safety measures, so beware and keep your eyes peeled.
My policy is if you're at least going at the speed limit then I don't complain. Weather and traffic congestion are about the only acceptable excuses for not going the speed limit.
-Weather conditions
-How well you know the road/area
-Topography of the land
-Rural/City
-Residential?
And so on...
I typically have the mindset that the speed limit automatically means 'plus 5', but there are exceptions. I try not to get annoyed if they are going the speed limit (with a few exceptions- like the fast lane on the expressway, or this main two lane rural route I live near that is impossible to pass on).
Now, if you are going under the speed limit on a nice, clear, sunny day driving over a non-residential flat two lane road, you are going to make me mad!
I'm one to go around 5 mph below the speed limit but only when it's a heavy rain, thick fog, or a dark narrow country road. I've nearly hit people, dogs, and trash cans on the road at night, a road with no street lights and a 45 mph speed limit and no shoulder. During these conditions I drive 40 or less depending on visibility.
Of course, it is common sense to slow down when the weather turn bad or conditions make it difficult to safely navigate your vehicle. How many bozos have caused accidents because they are going way too fast in the rain, fog or snow.
Responsible drivers slow down when conditions warrant it.
BUT when a driver is moving along on a beautiful day say at 25 in a 35 zone they should be pulled over just as someone that is going 45 in the same zone. There could be something wrong in both cases and it is putting the public at risk.
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