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And do you feel pressure to get over to the right if you're doing 80!
I drive mostly in the NE corridor -- Washington DC, through PA and NJ, and to NY.
And I confess...I speed also.
But if I'm doing 80, and someone is on my tail to get over.....THAT I think is crazy. (Yes, I know.... as if my 80 isn't more than too fast already.)
Right now I'm mostly taking 295 up through NJ. Whew! People are flying!
Sometimes I get over. Sometimes they have to wait.
Because I'm not slowing up, to get behind a car in the center lane, just to let them buy. If they have to wait a mile or two or five, because the center lane isn't moving at my speed...then so be it. Everyone in the left lane is moving faster than the center lane.
Eventually I do get over. Or they go around me.....sometimes only to be trapped in the center lane, because in front of me there's no place to go....there's a solid line of cars all going well above speed in the far left lane. Sometimes they zoom around to the far right lane and get in front of the center lane car. Sometimes they end up right behind me where they were.
In the West where speed limits are higher do you all experience this also?
On the open roads of Montana, Colorado, Idaho, etc. do people ride your tail in the left lane.
Again I'm not talking about someone doing 60 in the left lane with a speed limit of 65. I'm talking about 80!
Ever since the pandemic yeah much more common to find folks going 90+. 71 between Cincinnati and Columbus that is pretty much the flow of traffic sometimes. But especially since the pandemic there are a lot more people passing on the shoulder and such. Gotten pretty crazy.
I avoid the highways and stick to the winding back roads for fun twisties, but also to avoid the interstate craziness.
Speeds are definitely higher than they were many years ago. The vehicles are more competent - handle and brake better, and safer in a crash - I think that may be part of it is that many owners may just feel more (excessively) confident.
Most cars still won't handle well and remain stable or stop quickly at 80+ miles an hour under abrupt maneuvers, and if there is a collision with trees, rocks, bridge or building parts, or a direct hit on another vehicle at those speeds, even today's cars won't keep you safe.
There’s nothing like being in the second lane and coming up behind a “slower” moving vehicle. So, you wait to enter the fast lane, maybe speed up a little, then eventually get slowed up again by that obnoxious gravel truck going 80 in a 75 mph zone with its yellow lights flashing. WTH
At least in California the freeways limit certain vehicles (not pickups or passenger cars) to 55 mph and the far right lanes. But haven’t seen that on the east coast.
In the Twin Cities yes people are speeding way more. I always speed and rarely would ever get passed, now I’m just going along with everyone else, 20 over isn’t anything special anymore. I don’t speed much when working and I’m being passed nonstop. I’ve gone camping once or twice a year for last 12 years and take a freeway for 2.5 hrs before it turns to 2 lane highway last half hour. Since I started keeping track about 7 years ago I hadn’t been passed going up or coming back. I got passed a year ago, and then a time or two this summer. It’s the lack of police presence (way less cops now) and some knowing they can flee with no repercussions….that’s the reason. If I saw cops all over on the freeways I would slow way down. I now see how the Germans figured this out long before everyone else with their freeway systems.
And do you feel pressure to get over to the right if you're doing 80!
I drive mostly in the NE corridor -- Washington DC, through PA and NJ, and to NY.
And I confess...I speed also.
But if I'm doing 80, and someone is on my tail to get over.....THAT I think is crazy. (Yes, I know.... as if my 80 isn't more than too fast already.)
Right now I'm mostly taking 295 up through NJ. Whew! People are flying!
Sometimes I get over. Sometimes they have to wait.
Because I'm not slowing up, to get behind a car in the center lane, just to let them buy. If they have to wait a mile or two or five, because the center lane isn't moving at my speed...then so be it. Everyone in the left lane is moving faster than the center lane.
Eventually I do get over. Or they go around me.....sometimes only to be trapped in the center lane, because in front of me there's no place to go....there's a solid line of cars all going well above speed in the far left lane. Sometimes they zoom around to the far right lane and get in front of the center lane car. Sometimes they end up right behind me where they were.
In the West where speed limits are higher do you all experience this also?
On the open roads of Montana, Colorado, Idaho, etc. do people ride your tail in the left lane.
Again I'm not talking about someone doing 60 in the left lane with a speed limit of 65. I'm talking about 80!
Slower traffic keep right...........
I was recently in Germany, driving at times over 150 mph. Do you know its illegal to drive in the left lane unless you are passing? I was going 140+ and had an Audi wagon blow by me at well over 160-165! The Audi can run almost 190. Another "no no"............you cannot pass on the right.
I have a relative that is 77, drives a small SUV and she literally gets on the highway and proceeds directly to the left lane and goes 5 mph over the limit. Loves to tell people "go around me" and feels that at 5 mph she is leading the pack! She is 99% of the time on the phone, if she has a longish trip coming she will literally call through her phone contacts until somebody picks up the phone.
I wonder if the transition to EVs will slow people down some. With ICE vehicles it isn't as obvious that faster speeds are inefficient, but with EVs you do tend to notice it because the range estimate is right there in front you all the time.
My vehicle gets terrible mileage in general (I avg 16.7 mpg) but the only time I’ve ever noticed absolute watch the gauge moving (I have the mile number listed on my dash too) was flying across South Dakota with speed limit of 80 while heading west into wind. I was going between 95-100 for 4-5 straight hours (2 fuel stops). If I was in a EV, zero chance I would do that, so I’m guessing it probably slows people down?
Definitely more speeding here, where the limit is 55. It's really dumb because the 9 mile stretch of road all this is happening on is punctuated with 3 traffic lights. "Hurry up folks, you will get to stop at the next light before me". Many people are doing at least 10 mph over the limit. I go 60 max. Come winter there will be many accidents, almost all due to going too fast for conditions.
My guess is the increase in speeding is partly due to less of a police presence, since we're down 25% of officers, partly due to new cars being faster, etc.
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