Regional differences

[Sayantsi]

I think speed limits in the NE are so low that nobody pays attention to them anymore. Plus, everyone deals better with traffic because congestion has taught them how to be decisive and work with other drivers.

[whiteboyslo]

i don't know if it's so much a 'East vs West' thing as it is a 'Metro vs Rural' thing when it comes to lane discipline. i've found that, outside of metro areas, people are generally good at staying to the right unless passing. get close to a metro area, though, and all bets are off.

Mike

[Pruzhany]

Try driving I95 between DC and FL. The route# is the average speed. All lanes are passing lanes and nobody signals. Probably why most accidents I've passed have been one car.

And when I've driven on the west coast and passed signs that say "End Speed Limit" I've watched cars pass me as if I were standing still, but hey they do signal.

[Chadro77]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

It's somewhat dependent on the general I.Q. of your fellow motorists.

Whenever i hear people trot out the sorry line about how "speed kills", i immediately think, yes it does. And if you hadn't done so much of it, your brain would be able to comprehend that the argument is flawed!

I disagree. The Md/DC/Va area is supposed to have some of the best public education and some of the smartest people in the U.S.. Yet 60% of all vehicle accident fatalities from the last 5 years have occurred there.

[Egobop]

I agree with someone who had earlier stated that it is more of an urban/rural thing rather than having anything to do with the general intelligence of people within a given area or east coast/west coast. I reside on Long Island in New York and the way I see it, the fast paced lifestyle is what keeps the speeds high. Everyone here tends to be in a constant rush to get to work, get home, or get wherever else they are trying to go. People here tend to work within the five boroughs of New York City which is an hour away when there is no traffic. I believe people are so used to sitting in that traffic that when there is none, they try to take advantage of the situation and drive as fast as they can.

I disagree with those that say this is a good thing. Most of the time there is traffic on the highways here it is due to accidents which occur when the traffic is moving quicker while people are in the "oh good, I can fly" mode. The accident then causes everyone to sit in bumper to bumper traffic again. If people would just do the speed limit and concentrate on driving rather than making up ten minutes when the traffic lets up there would be less accidents resulting in less traffic problems.

People also tend to ignore the fact that something unexpected can happen such as a blowout, mechanical failure, etc. These things are much worse while traveling at speeds above the posted speed limit. A blowout at 85 miles per hour definitely makes it harder to control the vehicle than a blowout at 55 miles per hour.

[Coolhand68]

I've driven in 40 states, and Massachusetts is by far the worst I've ever driven in...local roads are pot-holed and winding, drivers are rude and rarely use their turn signals. Highways are dark and there is always construction going on.

California has the best highway system and local roads, even if they don't know how to drive in the rain out there. Well maintained and clean. Wide lanes, and local roads are not beaten up by harsh winters, nor are they old horse trails that have been paved over. My only gripe is the use of speed dips instead of bumps.