Obeying traffic laws? How hard is it?

[MineralMan]

I drove back from having dinner at a friend's house yesterday evening at dusk. I was on an Interstate highway with a speed limit of 70 MPH. Apparently I'm unique. I was in the right lane, doing exactly 70 MPH via my cruise control.

I passed no cars. Dozens of cars passed me, all going at least 10 MPH above the limit. Many were going even faster than that.

What's the hurry, folks?

[NutmegYankee]

1. People drive at the speed that is comfortable for them.

If you artificially set the speed limit lower than what roughly 80% of drivers drive at, then speeding will be endemic on that road. This is why Civil Engineers use the 80% rule for speed determination. Sadly, most speed limits are set by less scientific minds.

But a quicker answer is many cars read high on the speedometer - you may have been traveling at 65 MPH but thought you were at 70.

[MineralMan]

2. No. I've timed my car at 60 using mile markers.

My speedometer is exactly correct.

[NutmegYankee]

5. I doubt that.

They are at best accurate to 1-2 MPH at higher speeds. Yes, there are far more accurate and precise instruments, but they get calibrated and not subjected to vibration and temperature swings of over 100 degrees like a car speedometer.

[MineralMan]

7. You do? Every car I've ever owned, I've timed at 60 MPH

using mile markers, which are everywhere on interstates. I time a three mile segment. While you're correct that speedometers vary, I check them so I know what percentage of error exists.

These days, speedometers are operated by the car's computer, not a speedometer cable, and are calculated digitally. They're more accurate than they used to be, as long as you are using the standard tire size. Mine still has the factory tires, and I can't detect any error in the speedometer of that particular vehicle.

Further, in 6th gear, at 70 MPH, the tachometer indicates precisely 3000 RPM. I've calculated engine speed as it relates to that car's gear ratios and tire diameter, and that's accurate, as well. Unlike many drivers, I pay attention to my instruments and know about any errors in their readings.

[NutmegYankee]

12. Yep, I still do.

First off, digital doesn't mean more accurate. In fact, temperature becomes an even greater factor because the resistance of wiring/circuits changes with temperature. It will give you an exact reading, but not necessarily an accurate one.

Here's a fun question - your tire thread wears down over time. Do you still get the same reading at 11/32 as you do at 4/32? The outer diameter of the wheel changed.

[MineralMan]

16. Yes, the diameter of the tire changes with wear.

As of my last oil change, my tread depth is 9/32". As I said, I check the accuracy of my speedometer from time to time. Right now, it's exactly correct, based on time/mile calculations. I can't remember the last time I drove on an Interstate highway when I didn't do a speedometer check. Since mile markers are always available, it's easy when I have an open, low traffic stretch.

Why do I do that? Because my father always did it and I picked up the habit from him. BTW, the Interstates in Minnesota also have tenth of a mile markers, too almost everywhere. I love stuff like that. I'm a technical geek.

[NutmegYankee]

22. I still have my doubts.

Unless you were using a stop watch and perfectly hit the button, a single second of error is 1 MPH off on the measurement. Speed = 3600 / (seconds to travel 1 mile)

I've also timed my car like this, but had a passenger run the timer. Trying to drive a car and fumble with a stopwatch is as dumb as texting and driving.

[MineralMan]

29. My watch has a stop function.

That's why I use three mile segments for speedometer checks, and trigger the stop watch button consistently as the mile marker intersects with a specific point on the right front fender. I don't make a 1 second error in these checks. Any error would be in the tenth of a second range.

I also don't do this if there is any significant traffic. Ever.

[Calista241]

57. *cough*. Nerds!

I do the same thing, but I wouldn't have admitted it without you guys!

[MineralMan]

61. I'm a proud nerdish geek.

I like my nerd watch, and I don't care about what others think about it. It amuses me.

[Atman]

82. You're missing an important detail in your 'discussion' with NutmegYankee

As the screen name implies, he's lives in Connecticut, as do I. Our three major highways are 95, 91 and 84. We generally take those numbers to be indicative of the speed limit. So I think he's got a different perspective than you.

[MillennialDem]

100. A digital speedometer is not 100% accurate either even through a VSS. You should read how they're

calibrated:

https://www.autometer.com/media/2650-1268.pdf

Now, in your car since it is not using a universal speedometer but a factor speedometer they can pre-calibrate it from the factory for the tire size and gear ratio, but notice there are still some variables:

"The following list contains factors that can affect speedometer accuracy and how to minimize them during calibration.
1. Tire diameter increases slightly as vehicle speed increases. To minimize this error drive at an average speed of 45 MPH (75 KPH) during calibration.
2. Tire diameter increases slightly as tire air pressure is increases. To minimize this error, check the vehicle’s tires to ensure correct air pressure.
3. Tire diameter changes with vehicle load. Minimize this error by having an average load in the vehicle during calibration.
4. Minimize tire slippage error by not breaking traction during calibration"

So if your car has extra stuff in it or you are heavier
Not as accurate
If you are a very light person
Not as accurate
If you don't have exactly the factory PSI in your tires
Not as accurate
Also on a particularly hot or cold day
Not as accurate as a roughly normal temperature day (35-70 degrees).

Also if you get non-factory tires, they probably are a little taller or shorter than the factory ones which will affect the accuracy. I have a car with Nitto drag radials - these are marked as 315/35/17, but it's fairly well known they're probably not quite that big as they fit a stock suspension, whereas other brands of 315/35/17s do not. Granted this is width rather than aspect ratio/height, but you get the picture.

So if your car came with x brand tires and when you go to replace them you go with y brand instead

Same deal

Not as accurate.

It would pretty hard to tell with a stop watch if you're going 60 mph or 60.8 mph.

This is also why you can't throw radically different tires on a vehicle without having the speedometer become inaccurate (need to reprogram the computer). Same with changing the gear ratio.

Also it affects your tach as well. If you really underinflated or overinflated your tires and checked your tach at a given speed, it wouldn't be the same as with stock psi. Not that I'd recommend doing this!

[NutmegYankee]

127. The tachometer gets the signal from a separate sensor.

On older cars the signal was the firing of the single coil. On newer models with coil packs on each cylinder, cam, crank, or flywheel sensors are used to measure RPM. On automatic cars the tach has little to do with speed because of the fluid coupling in the torque converter while on stick shift it tracks due to the direct connection of engine and transmission by clutch. But even with the direct connection, the tach reads engine RPM at the shaft. The speed on the other hand can vary based on tire size, etc.

[MillennialDem]

134. You're right. But the point still ultimately stands. You can only estimate (not exact) speed off the

tach.

[NutmegYankee]

135. I agree.

[Orrex]

43. That doesn't account for the 10, 20 or 30 mph difference I see daily

No matter what speed I travel on I-79, people zip past me as though I'm parked. This is true whether I'm going 50 or going 75. I'm reluctant to believe that my perceptions are so badly skewed that I interpret a 1-2 MPH discrepancy as a 30 MPH variance.

[Major Nikon]

98. I have 4 cars and all are spot on at highways speeds with my GPS

[pnwmom]

108. I think the more likely answer is that the majority of drivers were doing 10 above the speed limit.

That's what the drivers do in my metro area, whenever traffic makes it possible.

[joshcryer]

112. In Vegas 10 mph over is the norm.

And they don't know what turn signals are nor have a desire to use them.

[pnwmom]

115. Cause if they use them someone might speed up to stop them.

Driving sucks these days.

[joshcryer]

117. Never in my life encountered worst drivers.

At least they know how to use the blinker in Colorado.

(And note: I mean Vegas locals, not like tourists. I don't know if the locals just don't give a crap or what.)

[pnwmom]

118. Are you visiting or living there?

I hope it's just temporary -- unless you're happy, other than the drivers.

[joshcryer]

120. Extended visit.

Colorado is my home (thus the avatar).

I'm happy! Just the drivers are nerve wracking. No courtesy whatsoever.

(Though tonight I was on a regular nightly bike ride and some ladies pulled over and asked if I needed a ride, that was a first, in Colorado that would happen regularly.)

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Lawns: why can't the kids get off them?

[DawgHouse]

10. That's funny!

[MineralMan]

13. The neighborhood kids are welcome to play on my lawn,

and they do. Doesn't bother me at all.

[pintobean]

36. lol

[Hassin Bin Sober]

52. Now add looking at a stopwatch and not the road and we have a real menace to traffic.

[MineralMan]

70. I don't look at the stopwatch while driving.

I look at it later. It's stopped, and I know how many mile markers I timed. I don't need to know the results in real time.

[Warpy]

4. ME FIRST! TIME IS MONEY! OUTTA MY WAY, GRANDPA!

Part of the problem is that other cars doing 70 look like they're standing still relative to you, so you hit the gas to get around them. That's part of the reason people speed. The rest is pure selfishness.

I don't have a cruise control. I know if I keep up with the traffic, I'll be doing 85-90, so I cling to the right lane and do the speed limit. I know my reactions aren't fast enough to do 90. Neither are yours, but you'll have to figure it out the hard way.

[MineralMan]

11. I drive the speed limit, when it is safe to do so.

If the speed limit was 85, I'd drive that speed. If traffic is moving at the speed limit or above, it's generally light traffic, so there's not a lot of need for fast reaction times, as long as you're paying attention to traffic ahead, alongside, and behind you. I don't allow myself to be distracted while driving.

So far, I've had zero accidents, save one in a supermarket parking lot, when someone backed out of a space while I was behind that space. I've also had zero traffic tickets since I started driving in 1962. I'm proud of that record, and intend to maintain it as long as I'm driving.

[Ace Rothstein]

6. At least you have the common sense to drive in the right lane.

I hate left lane drivers.

[MineralMan]

8. I always use the right lane on two-lane highways,

and only enter the left lane if I'm passing. On three-lane highways, I use the center lane, to avoid dealing with merging traffic. It's less common sense than driving in the most consistent way I possibly can.

[madokie]

122. Come drive down some of our interstates

and you'll be left lane drivers too. Our right lanes are so full of pot holes that I do a lot of my driving in the left lane and then pull over when I see a car approaching then its back to the left lane. Our Hiway Patrols pretty much do the same. I see it often.
Why the right lanes so full of pot holes, I'm not sure but I suspect overloaded trucks. Would be my guess. Plus a republiCON congress and governor who don't want to spend any money on our roads.
Yeah it sucks. I remember when you couldn't find a republiCON in oklahoma but thats not the case anymore. Back in the late '70 and early '80s we had a pretty strong job market so we had a shitpot full of people move to our state and its been fucked, politically since.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I drive all the time.

I obey the traffic laws. I can't afford to get tickets.

I stay in the right lane and pretty much do the speed limit or maybe up to 5 over. Everybody passes me.

I'm also really careful to put a lot of space between me and the other cars. It drives me crazy when someone tailgates. That is so dangerous. It's also a really aggressive thing to do.

[MineralMan]

17. I work hard to keep an appropriate distance

between my car and the one in front of me whenever it is possible to do so. Not only does it allow for reacting to situations, it also makes life a lot easier for other drivers who want to make lane changes.

It's impossible in heavy freeway traffic, of course, but speeds are generally lower in those situations. As my father taught me, long, long ago, in heavy traffic, drivers should be paying extra attention and watching for brake lights several cars ahead. Even in heavy trafffic, though, I always allow enough space for another vehicle to safely merge into my lane. It's all about paying attention to everything around you.

[WillowTree]

38. When I get on a tollway or expressway......

......I set my cruise control at the speed limit and take up residence in the right lane, venturing to the left when there's room to do so only to pass the occasional slow mover or to allow more room for a string of cars trying to merge in from the right. But I spend fully 99% of my time at the speed limit in the right lane. And still, about once a week I encounter some idiot crawling up my tailpipe. When that happens, I cancel the cruise control, take my foot off the gas and let the my speed drift down until the moron behind me either backs off sufficiently for me to see his headlights or he passes me.

Yes, it pisses them off, and one has to be careful that they don't try to cut you off when they pass you, but other than that, I don't care how pissed they get. Considering the fact that I am the car in front, it's my lane and I'm driving within the law.

[WillowTree]

92. What the Hell are you talking about?! Did you even read the whole post, or only the last paragraph?

I don't care how pissed they get.
No, I don't. Just like they don't care how angry it makes me or how much they're jeopardizing my safety, as well as their own and others nearby when they're following so close that I can't see their headlamps in my rearview mirror.

Considering the fact that I am the car in front
In comparison to the car that's following too close behind me, yeah, I'm the car in front.

it's my lane
Put another way, I was there before the driver who's being a jerk behind me. I don't have any responsibility to drive in excess of the speed limit in order to please someone else who wishes to. When I'm in the right lane, there are a minimum of two, and usually three additional lanes to the left. As soon as there's room to do so, get in one of those lanes and drive at whatever speed you please.

Be satisfied with that. Instead of inciting more road rage, just let people pass you.
Exactly what from my post gives you the impression that I don't "just let people pass [me]"? I said that when some moron insists on driving so close behind me that s/he could probably change the track on my media player, I let my foot off the gas until they either back off to a safer distance "or he passes me." I'm happy for them to pass me. It's not my problem if they get a speeding ticket. It IS my problem if they're following me too closely.

[pnwmom]

119. Why are you assuming that the tailgaters can always pass him? If the roads are crowded, people often follow

too closely merely to try to push the person ahead of them to go faster.

[cwydro]

47. Me too.

I hate speeders and aggressive drivers.

[LibDemAlways]

103. I hate tailgaters. I stay to the right. I drive the limit. I leave plenty

of room. I try to stay between packs as my driving teacher taught me 45 years ago. And yet, they will ride my bumper anyway. And they cause accidents. Yesterday in the space of an hour, I saw the aftermath of two rear end collisions no doubt caused by tailgating-- so stupid and unnecessary.

[mnhtnbb]

14. I have said for a long time there's no such thing as a speed limit in NC.

Trucks, RV's, trucks towing boats...anything and everything blow by me on the interstate highways
here and I usually drive within 5 miles over the posted speed limit.

There seems to be very little concern for speed limits or signaling of lane changes or turns here.
And the red light running? Ha. Out of control. I've also seen vehicles blow right through stop signs
without even pretending to slow down, let alone stop.

You really have to be careful and drive defensively all the time here.

[MineralMan]

19. Traffic signals. So many people in Minnesota blow through

red lights these days that I automatically assume it will happen. Often three cars will continue through an intersection after the light is red. Nuts. Other times, texting or talking drivers simply don't even see the traffic lights. Defensive driving has gotten more difficult since the smart phone was introduced.

I'm so glad I work from a home office and don't have to commute!

[mnhtnbb]

26. Oh, the texting. Scares the crap out of me. Our local Town of Chapel Hill

tried to ban all cell phone use while driving a year or so ago and the State of NC stepped in and
said we couldn't do it.

I was doing 65mph on I-85 where it comes in to merge with I-95 in Richmond, VA on my way to DC a few years ago. Glanced
over at car in lane next to me and some girl/young woman was texting! Not even looking at the road!
I see people on phones all the time on surface streets and the highways, but that's the only time I've actually seen
someone texting on the interstate. I'm sure it happens plenty.

[hobbit709]

15. I know someone who once got a speeding ticket for 30 in a 35 zone.

On a clear day with light traffic.
Small town cop who had it in for my friend. Ticket got tossed by judge but don't mean nothing when you're pulled over.
cop got his about 15 years later. Did 10 years on corruption charges, along with the mayor, two city council clowns, and the police chief walked into his fancy office and blew his brains out.

[Lurker Deluxe]

18. I just came back from St. Martin

Traffic laws?

LOL!!

If we had roads like they do there would be snarls and incomprehensible traffic for miles in all directions. Circles everywhere, everything is yield, and itty bitty cars and trucks all going about 50kph. Four wheelers on the roads, motorcycles weaving through traffic, and not a traffic cop in sight. Only coppers I saw were at the airport and the power plant where I was working.

Amazing difference. And a beautiful place.

[MineralMan]

20. Sounds crazy.

[Ace Rothstein]

30. I drove there once, fun times.

My now wife did not like the parts of the trip when we had to get in the car.

We went to Brazil last year, that's a place where I'd never even think about trying to drive.

[Lurker Deluxe]

34. It was fun

I rented a Daihatsu Terios 4WD and stayed at the Sonesta resort. The drive was great everyday, up and down the side of the mountain and around curve after curve.

Just amazing how everyone was able to merge and use the roads so well ... after the first day I fit right in.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

21. You should write one of those "Random Thoughts" columns in the weekly shopper

Police generally only stop you on the highway if you are going more than 10 miles over the limit. It's a form of salutary neglect. Of course 70 is high for a speed limit.

[MineralMan]

25. I see very few State Troopers on our local Interstates.

In California, especially in the L.A. area, the CHP almost never stops people on freeways for traffic violations. A traffic stop always ends up jamming the freeway for up to an hour, making the horrible traffic even worse. I've hated the I-405 freeway for many, many years, but end up having to use it because I fly into and out of LAX a few times a year. Ugh!

[mnhtnbb]

31. Traffic is so bad in SoCal now you really don't have to worry about speeding unless it's midnight!

I learned to drive in southern California--got my license at 16 in 1967--and lived in L.A. from 1969 to 1988.
Up until my aunt died and my uncle moved from Pasadena several years ago, I used to go visit at least
once or twice a year. The traffic is just awful. Everywhere. It took me 40 minutes one afternoon to go
half a mile in Pasadena during 5 o'clock rush hour.

[LibDemAlways]

105. I've lived in LA for over 50 years. Got my

license in 1968 and have driven hundreds of thousands of LA miles. You are right about no traffic enforcement on the freeway these days. When someone is pulled over, the lookey loo mentality goes into effect and traffic backs up for miles as everyone rubbernecks. You'd think that this close to Hollywood, people wouldn't be so starved for entertainment, but apparently not. I'd love to go see Bernie at the LA Sports Arena on the 10th, but dread the drive down there. Last time I ventured into town from the West Valley, it took almost 3 hours to get there --bumper to bumper the whole way. Should have taken a half hour.

[mnhtnbb]

109. In the early 80's I lived in Woodland Hills and worked in Hollywood.

Most days I could get to work in an hour and home in a little more than an hour. When it rained, it would take me
at least two hours!

I can't imagine it would be possible now--30 years later--to do that commute on a daily basis
in an hour.

[LibDemAlways]

128. I have a friend who lives in Calabasas and works at

Children's Hospital in Hollywood. 1.5 to 2 hours is the norm. I can't even.

I met out of town friends in Santa Monica on a Saturday night recently. Went Malibu Canyon to PCH. 2.5 hour nightmare. Too many cars. Too few lanes. No public transportation alternative. More than ever, decisions about where and when to go are based on the very real possibility of hours spent in hideous traffic and arriving late and frazzled.

[mnhtnbb]

139. I used to work at Children's!

How long has your friend been there? I left in 1985.

Jonathan Kellerman--the psychologist turned mystery writer-- was there bravely treating Hem/Onc patients when I was there.

[LibDemAlways]

140. She's an RN. Started out there about 8 years ago in

the ER and now works in physical therapy. She was so impressed with the care her daughter received for a spine problem, that she applied there after staying home for a decade with her kids. There are definitely closer hospitals where she could be working, but she loves Children's, horrible commute and all! They do great work.

[mnhtnbb]

141. OMG.

Small world. PT and OT reported to me back in the day (I was an assistant administrator). The woman who is currently VP for Patient Care Services and Director of Nursing--Mary Dee Hacker--was there working her way up through the nursing ranks when I was there.

[LibDemAlways]

142. My friend no doubt knows her. Small world,

indeed.

[cherokeeprogressive]

95. Try I-15 from Corona to San Diego...

There's a stretch from Temecula to Fallbrook where if you're not going 90-95 you had BETTER be in the far right lane.

[Art_from_Ark]

106. I tried driving California 38 from Mentone to Big Bear Lake once

That is a very twisting, winding road. I tried driving it at the posted speed, but I invariably had a tailgater behind me before long. So I'd always pull off the road whenever there was enough room, just to let the other driver(s) pass. However, I got so tired of doing that I ended up turning around and heading back to Mentone after about 3 or 4 miles of mountain driving.

Never made it to Big Bear.

[Whiskeytide]

23. Most drivers drive 5 to 10 mph over the posted...

... speed limit. I think the reason is because cops generally don't bother to ticket you for 10 mph over the posted limit. It's a function of calculating what you think you can get away with.

I'm as guilty as most. If the posted limit is 35, you'll usually find me doing 40. If it's 70, I'm probably doing 80. But I don't usually exceed that cushion, and it is also dependent on what the traffic and weather conditions are.

[snooper2]

24. Because sometimes you just have to give somebody the phone and punch it

LOL

[narnian60]

37. Good golly!

We're they caught or not??

[Glassunion]

46. OMG that was stupid!

OMG that car sounds awesome!

[snooper2]

48. Check it out after the new Ford racing exhaust

Walks the Murcielago

[MineralMan]

56. I don't find that kind of crap funny at all.

I'd be super pissed if someone was doing that on a road I was driving on. Super pissed. Pure recklessness that could get someone killed.

If it were up to me, when someone driving that way on public roads was caught, the car would be towed immediately to the wrecking yard and get crushed. That would slow down those morons in quarter of a million dollar road rockets. That would be an excellent law to have on the books.

I used to live in an area where people sometimes drove like that. I'm a zero tolerance guy for any highway driving that exceeds about 110 MPH. Just crush the cars immediately when they get caught. Poof! The behavior would end.

[MillennialDem]

102. You have to catch the cars to crush them - it would also encourage more people running from the

cops in any fast car (not just quarter million dollar road rockets - even most low end sports cars can outrun a cop car). Also what's your objective standard for car crushing? 24 mph over the limit or less = ticket? 25+ mph over the limit = crush? Can tell you there was one ticket I wouldn't have stopped for.

[ileus]

27. Ever notice how backed up traffic gets when there's a cop leading?

If everyone tried to go exactly 70 we'd never get anywhere.


My daily commute I do 55 on my road, 75 on the interstate, and 60 on the 4 lane. Always 5 miles over...I don't get pulled over anymore.

[Travis_0004]

65. It backs up because people slow down

If the speed limit is 70, but people are doing 75+, then slow down to 70, it backs up because people do 75 until they see the cop, then do 70 while the cop is there. People behind them do 70 until they hit the back up and are forced to slow down.

If everybody did the speed limit, there would be no backup. Its only the outside forcing causing a slow down that causes it

[Atman]

84. No, it is the volume of traffic.

The other post is correct, but only to a point. The real issue is the number of numbskulls who seem to think they'll get a Special Award from the Staties if they drive 5-10mph BELOW the speed limit. Never fails...people see a cop, even if he's already pulled over writing someone else a ticket, and a ridiculous percentage of drivers will slow down to well below the limit. I'm not talking about safety, and giving the cops room -- that's a given when passing by any emergency vehicle. I mean, on the open road! See a cop driving in the 65mph zone? Slow down to 60. I mean, what's the point?

Anyway, as I stated up thread, I'm from Connecticut. If you ever see a cop who isn't exceeding the speed limit by 15-20mph, it probably means he's slowing down to enter a Dunkin' Donuts.

[NutmegYankee]

125. I noticed that.

You never get caught behind a police car in CTas they zoom past at high speed every time.

[steve2470]

78. I've seen people pass the cop

Brave souls, they.

[pintobean]

79. I've done it

If he/she is driving under the limit, or if they are out of their jurisdiction. I wave to them as I pass. They usually smile and wave back.

[steve2470]

80. yea you're definitely safe then nt

[pintobean]

83. I don't know anymore.

I've never checked the accuracy of my speedometer with a stopwatch, or calculated the affect of tire wear. I could be flying past those cops at 2 mph over the limit.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

85. I saw someone pass the cop last year. He used the deceleration/acceleration lane to do it.

Yeah, he got pulled over.

The one time a traffic cop was around when you needed him.

It was heavy Sunday afternoon traffic on I55. Like me, everyone else came cruising up to the pack of cars... Untill they saw the state cop in the right lane. Then we all fell in line behind. Both lanes ended up being blocked when some hot rod came up and started swerving, tailgating and flashing his lights. At the first opportunity (the on/off ramp) he gunned it around the right side.

On went the cherries. Lol.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

28. Glad you're staying right and not playing hall monitor in the left lane.

Sometimes I speed because I finally got around someone who was blocking the free flow of traffic. I'm sort of briefly over-reacting to breaking free.

[ileus]

76. Must not be from Ohio.

[marmar]

32. I usually go 5-10 over.

[randome]

35. Me, too. I disdain overly cautious and timid drivers but...

...I will defend to the death anyone's right to drive at what they think is a safe speed. Or even if they want to simply cruise about looking at the scenery and not giving a damn about anyone else. That's their right, too, no matter how much it might annoy me.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[joshcryer]

113. Eh, I'm a fan of speed control.

As is OP maybe. Just set it and forget it. On long trips the 5 miles over is negligible, maybe 30 minutes to an hour of driving (for a long trip).

But unlike OP I don't give two shits if a lot of people are passing me. The truckers in particular tend to set speed control and relax so I can find myself behind one (a few hundred or thousand yards) for 50+ miles without having to pass.

[Kelvin Mace]

33. They also don't realize that the faster they go

the more fuel they burn.

Air resistance (drag) increases with the square of speed, and therefore the power needed to push an object through air increases with the cube of the velocity.

[MineralMan]

50. They don't care about that, actually.

My KIA Soul does 35 MPG at 70 over long distances. That's the best mileage I've managed in that car. Sixth gear, which is a second overdrive ratio. Engine at 3000 RPM. That's its sweet spot for fuel economy. Maximum top speed in the car is about 113, but you have to do that in 4th gear. 5th and 6th won't get you there. I've only done it once, since I pretty much refuse to drive the car at over 5000 RPM. Redline is 6750 RPM.

Amazing little 1.6 L normally aspirated little engine. Modern engineering is wonderful. When I was a young guy, six-speed manual transmissions were for exotic sports cars. What a treat!

[dembotoz]

129. i drive an older kia--a sephia or is it a kia syphilis??? i forget. consider the instruments their

best guess at any particular time.

ran a 500 mile roadtrip this last weeking using my gps which also has mph.

they were sorta close maybe of 3-4 mph at freeway speed.

[GreatGazoo]

39. Cue George Carlin....

[Orrex]

44. Well, his joke depends on a failure of logic.

He divides motorists into two simple groups: those driving faster than you, and those driving slower than you.

The joke hinges on the perception that the "you" in this context is a single point, when in fact "you" refers to motorists driving at speeds close to your own, either faster or slower within a certain range, and that range can be fairly wide. An "idiot" is someone who is driving conspicuously slower than that range, while a "maniac" is someone driving conspicuously faster, or more recklessly.

I know that it's a comedy bit, but it's quoted so often and so widely that this is worth addressing.

[lpbk2713]

40. I usually go a little over the limit out on the open road.

In congested areas I try to go no more than 3 mph over the limit. In school zones and construction zones I do just what they say. It's the state law that the fine for speeding is doubled in these areas. And these areas are the ones the locals like to shoot radar from. It brings in more revenue.

[aikoaiko]

41. Think of it as civil disobedience.

[MineralMan]

69. What? Driving the speed limit in the right lane?

There's no disobedience, civil or otherwise, in that. Breaking the speed limit isn't civil disobedience, either. It's just speeding.

[Make7]

42. A Meditation On The Speed Limit

(5 minutes)

[MineralMan]

68. I wouldn't do that, frankly.

Not a chance.

[KT2000]

45. this is the Age

of Whatever You Can Get Away With. In my once quiet town, four way stops and roundabouts are being used as aggressive driving venues. It is getting scary.

[MineralMan]

64. Lots of four way stops in residential neighborhoods in St. Paul.

I always assume that people will drive through them. That keeps me from having accidents, because they often do. I think they don't even see them. On their cell phones, usually.

When they do, though, they hear my horn. I'll wait for them to do stupid things, but I'm going to use my horn.

[KT2000]

88. Yes - I've become

a horn user too!

[Snobblevitch]

49. How far away does your friend live?

There is no freeway in the Twin Cities (inside the 494/694 loop) that has a 70 mph speed limit. Heck, that section of I-35E just south of downtown St. Paul has a speed limit of 45mph.

[MineralMan]

53. I'm in St. Paul. My friend lives in Prior Lake.

Once you pass 494, the speed limit on 35E is 70. It's a 45 minute drive from my house to his. It's not really that far from 494 to the 42 exit, but that's where I was, but coming back to St. Paul.

[Snobblevitch]

93. Ok, now I get it.

I drive both within the 494/694 loop and during drivrtimes, don't get a chance to go higher than the 55/60 mph speed limit and out state where 80 mph seems to be the speed.

[AllFieldsRequired]

51. Obeying traffic laws? How hard is it? Depends what color you are.

If you are white, you can pretty much disobey many laws as long as you dont stretch it too far.

If you are black, you cant break a single law.

You cant change lanes without using your blinker.

Hell, as a pedestrian you cant even jaywalk.

[MineralMan]

54. Very true. I still play it safe, and follow

all traffic laws, anyhow. I'm a law abiding citizen all around. I don't see any reason not to be, really. It's easy. Keeps my anxiety level down and avoids all sorts of crap I don't need.

[alcibiades_mystery]

71. That's the disturbing subtext of the OP

In a moment when the nation's attention is focused on how black folks are abused through traffic laws, to post an OP la-di-daing about how easy it is to observe traffic laws strikes me as tone deaf AT BEST.

At best.

[pintobean]

75. That's not something new

Not at all.

[joshcryer]

114. Yeah.

I kinda got that vibe. Super passive aggressive. Potentially made up story about being "passed by people." That should be the least of ones concern on the interstate.

[kelly1mm]

55. Aparently (not the OP) the traffic law about staying right except to pass in MD is hard to obey. nt

[MineralMan]

58. I have no trouble with that law.

I have a lot of trouble, though, with people who drive up on my butt and ride my bumper when I'm in the right lane doing the speed limit. I don't like that one bit. I will engage in blocking and boxing in those drivers if I get a chance. They will slow down if I have a chance to force the issue.

I'm not real friendly to overly aggressive drivers. They're dangerous to everyone.

In St. Paul, on I-94 westbound, there are also two left exits on a three-lane section of freeway. I use those exits fairly frequently, and can't tell you how many people have crowded my bumper after I changed into the left lane to take one of those left exist, driving at the speed limit on that stretch. Aggressive drivers in situations like that piss me off, too. Fuck 'em! The left lane is not universally the fast lane. In that stretch, the middle lane is the fast, through lane. Morons!

[RebelOne]

59. I am guilty of going over the speed limit.

I have a lead foot, but fortunately have only had one speeding ticket.

[MineralMan]

63. That's one too many for me.

I don't have money to give to pay for traffic tickets. What a waste!

[Deadshot]

60. I never go the speed limit down I-94, 494. or 394.

It's quite common for me to go 5-10 mph over. I don't like driving and I want to get to where I need to go as quick as I can.

[MineralMan]

62. I don't care what you do. Just stay off my bumper if I'm in the

right lane and stay off your cell phone, and we'll get along just fine. I'll be right at the speed limit.

[Taitertots]

66. Is your time valuable? I know mine is...

I'm going to spend the absolute minimum amount of time sitting in my car and the maximum amount of time with my friends and family. If this means I need to disregard arbitrary speed limits, then I've got no problem disregarding them.

How many hours of your life have you thrown away by not speeding?

[MineralMan]

67. You will do as you see fit, I'm sure.

I've thrown away zero hours of my life by not speeding. Zero. If I'm driving somewhere, that's what I'm doing at that time in my life. I know how long it will take me to get where I'm going, pretty much. It's part of what I'm doing.

Speeding doesn't save that much time, really. I might gain 5 minutes on the drive I described by going 80. I also might get pulled over by a cop and lose 15 minutes. Instead, I leave 45 minutes before I'm supposed to be where I'm going if that's how long it takes to get there while staying within the speed limit. Why would I care about 5 minutes, more or less?

False economy, really. Don't mind me. I'll be in the right lane. You drive right on by. I'll wave if you get pulled over.

[Taitertots]

86. 5 minutes a day is more than 1 day every year

And for me, it's more like 20-30 minutes extra everyday. Even factoring in tickets, I'm still coming out way ahead.

[MineralMan]

87. Whatever you say.

[Taitertots]

123. it's first grade level math. 5 minutes times 365 days = 1825 minutes per year

1825 minutes = 30 hours = just over 1 day per year.

[NCTraveler]

72. My highway driving is bassed on low stress these days.

I make numerous 10 hr one day drives a year. It use to wear on me very much. I would be stressed out. I have made trips with the cruise set at 90 and trips with it set at 70. Most of my earlier trips were closer to 85 or 90. Today, I set the cruise at 75 and get in the right lane. I find I don't have to change lanes often and it is very relaxing. 90 is very stressful and I spent 9 or 10 hours changing lanes.

My justification for the higher speed was two fold. The stress kept me awake, and it truly takes an hour or more off a trip that long. I now go much slower and often even take a nap in the middle. My mind and body appreciate it.

I haven't received a ticket or citation in almost twenty years.

In Florida we have a serious problem. Turn signals seem to be removed at all Florida dealerships.

[steve2470]

73. Obeying the law is for chumps!

in case I need to.

I admit, I used to speed routinely when I was younger. Oh, those precious seconds I saved and the extra gas I burned! Then, law enforcement got me to change my ways. Tickets are no fun. So, these days I'm like you, MM. I drive the speed limit in the right lane, watch everyone save those precious seconds (and in all fairness, hours for those driving a very long distance), congratulate myself on being immune from tickets now, and relax. We all make choices in life, and those choices have consequences. I'll be a stick in the mud slowpoke in the right lane but at least I'm no longer paying speeding tickets. YMMV.

[MillennialDem]

104. In fairness, in certain vehicles optimum gas mileage is above the speed limit.

[taught_me_patience]

74. If driving 5-10 mph over the speed limit

means I get home an extra 5 minutes faster to see my daughters before they go to bed, then it's worth it. I get an extra 30 min a week to spend with them that I otherwise wouldn't have.

[laundry_queen]

99. That's how I see it

I try not to speed too much...I stay under what most cops will stop you at (Around here that's 10 Kph, so 5 mph or so), but I agree. If I hit 3 lights green that otherwise would've been red if I hadn't been speeding, that means I get home 5 minutes early to spend time with my 4 kids. As a single parent, that time is priceless.

I didn't speed as much when I didn't work full time, so I think it's just a function of everyone feeling like they don't have time anymore. The last thing people want is to be stuck on the road.

[taught_me_patience]

130. It's also amazing how those minutes add up

5 min/day = 25min/week = 1,000min/year = 21.hours/year = An extra day a year spent with the kids.

[Adrahil]

77. I speed almost every day.

I live at the edge of town and while there are neighborhoods, they are a bit separated. The 40 mph limit of the road I use is not realistic.

[PowerToThePeople]

81. The worst

I typically drive 1-5 over unless a school or park zone.

What I have seen recently are drivers who drive under the speed limit for normal 30-35 roads, then when they get to a school or park 20 mph area decide to accelerate. I think they are probably speed trolls just looking to piss people off.

[lumberjack_jeff]

89. I treat them as advisory. Guidelines, really. n/t

[mythology]

90. It's very hard

But then again I live in the Boston area where nobody knows how to drive or park. Granted it doesn't help that we have a million one way streets, cross walks at seemingly every intersection (especially in Cambridge and Somerville) because combining a few cross walks would be too much of an imposition to walk a block down the street and lights that are deliberately off set to slow down traffic. Oh and there are a significant number of bicyclists who have no idea about basic laws. Back when I was biking to work, I got hit from behind a couple of times by other cyclists who thought I was just going to blow through a red light.

There's one stretch near where I live that has 5 lights within maybe a quarter mile and even late at night they are almost always off set so that right when you get to the second or third light, it turns red, even when there are no cars on the cross street. It's more than a little infuriating.

[TransitJohn]

94. LOL.

Life would be so much easier if everyone just thought and lived like you, huh?

[raccoon]

138. +1000. nt

[akbacchus_BC]

96. What is your point? Are you saying that white people obey the traffic laws

and black people do not? What is your point of posting this on here? I am very curious.

[LeftyMom]

97. That's a good way to get pulled over around here.

[MillennialDem]

101. Minor speeders are far less a problem than other traffic problems

People who run stop signs / red lights / don't yield. This is particularly a problem at T intersections in states where U turns are permitted at intersections. People turning right think think they can just blow through the reds all day long without stopping. What's comical is they often get mad at the people making a legal U turn.

People who don't yield for pedestrians personally witnessed a person hit and killed because of this at one of my jobs as a teenager.

Driving too fast for conditions in heavy rain or snow.

Road rage / passive aggressive behavior.

I've never heard of an accident caused where someone speeding by 4 or even 10 mph was the primary factor.

The stupid thing is cops rarely write tickets for the other behaviors since they are easier to argue subjectively rather than the radar gun with says speeding by x mph.

[strategery blunder]

107. For those of us with no or not functioning cruise control

The mere act of "obeying the speed limit" can be an attention hog if we're held to a DWB standard.

My cruise control is out and has been for years. It's not really part of the minimum equipment list to drive; it's a convenience, so I don't bother to spend a couple hundred dollars getting it fixed (especially since I did that once, and it stopped working again only a couple months later). So, while I consciously observe the posted speed limits, I'm human, I'm imperfect, my foot will twitch, sometimes I'll look and see I'm doing 37 in a 35, sometimes someone will be coming up behind me in my rearview mirror and I realize I'm only doing 32 and correct that.

I typically check my speedometer once every few seconds but if I kept my eyes constantly glued to it in an effort to perfectly maintain that 35, I'd become more of a hazard on the road because obsession with maintaining the perfect speed would consume too much of my attention span. It'd be about on par with texting while driving...only I'm going exactly 35! It's possible for a driver to become so legalistic in their driving, avoiding ALL violations, that they actually become more of a safety hazard because they're spending too much attention focusing on avoiding any minor infraction and not enough attention on finding and dealing with traffic hazards. Don't get me started about driving in places where the flow of traffic is literally 30 mph above the posted limit...thankfully where I live drivers are pretty laid back.

Like you, I've never so much as been pulled over, never been in an accident, and actually enjoy the feeling that I don't have to be on the lookout for "the snake in the grass" constantly. But I also recognize that if a cop really had it in for me, they could find some technical violation (such as a very minor speed fluctuation) that they could bust me for, and that it's more likely to happen to minorities. That's also part of the reason why I keep my car clear of bumper stickers--I don't want some racist KKKop hassling me because I have a Black Lives Matter bumper sticker, for example.

[B Calm]

131. Check your fuses, it might be your problem with the cruise control.

[strategery blunder]

132. I'd have to pay someone to do it

As previously mentioned, I don't have/won't spend the money for something that is non-essential.

[B Calm]

145. You have to pay someone to check your fuses? Do you pay someone to change a

burnt out living room light bulb?

[strategery blunder]

146. In my living room, I actually know where the fuse is.

That's a bit of a difference, at least for those of us who are not mechanically inclined.

[B Calm]

147. Check your glove compartment and see if your vehicle has an owners manual.

It should show you where on the inside of your vehicle where the fuses are.

[AngryOldDem]

110. My daily drive:

1) People going at least 10-15 mph over the speed limit (45) on a road that is within city limits.

2) People going at least 10-15 mph over the speed limit (35) on a road that is within city limits but closer to downtown.

3) People running lights long after the yellow has turned to red, especially at busy intersections.

4) People tailgating if you don't do as they do (see 1) and 2) above). This includes while driving through construction zones.

5) People who blow up on your ass to get you out of their way so that they can shave one or two minutes -- if that -- off their drive; more often than not you'll come across them stuck either behind slower traffic or at a light that they somehow couldn't run, so what was really gained by all that, I ask?

6) People weaving in and out of lanes and making lane changes with precious little room between you and them.

7) People who have to be first when the road merges into one lane in construction zones, so they keep blowing up alongside slower traffic and then force their way in at the last minute -- like when they reach the arrow sign that you could see from a mile back, telling them to merge.

I have come to hate driving with the heat of a thousand burning suns. There are really no words for how I feel. And, in a few minutes, I'm off to do it again, this morning IN THE RAIN!!!!!

[joshcryer]

111. Technically you can pass a vehicle going the speed limit...

...if it is in your way.

Now I'm not saying this was the case 100% but it's possible that some people also had speed control set and you were maybe at 69 and they were maybe at 72 but because of how all speedometers are not perfect there was a conflict.

I admit that there are probably who always go 5 miles over because the ticket isn't a big deal and most cops aren't going to pull someone going 5 miles over.

And I admit that there were probably people going 10-20 miles over.

But to me I have no problem with anyone passing me going at any speed. The swerving around and the lack of turn signals is the most annoying thing to me. Simply being passed doesn't bother me in the least.

If people are obeying sane driving behavior and going a bit over the speed limit good luck to them. The odds are simply not in their favor and they will get an enormous ticket and points off of their license.

Note: for cops that do this crap because they know they won't get pulled over or because they can skirt the ticket, I make an exception. I've seen many a cop pass by me 10-15 miles over the speed limit without their lights on and it's definitely infuriating.

[Live and Learn]

116. I have to get to work you deadbeat.

Just kidding, (though in the a.m., deadbeat would be a kind word) but the stress and traffic does cause me to find myself uncharacteristically annoyed at those that have the luxury to meander and smell the roses. That being said, out here (in L.A.) being able to do 70 is only a dream most of the time.

[ProfessorGAC]

121. Boy, Are You And I Ever On The Same Page, MM

On my drive to work (only 10 or 11 miles, but nearly all highway) i get passed 25 to 30 times every morning at 5:30am on a divided 4 lane state highway. Speed limit is 55 and i hit cruise there and leave it.

Because anybody who has to commute to the suburbs or closer to Chicago would be taking I-55, nearly everyone using that road has a 25 mile or less commute. Go 65 and it takes only 4.2 more minutes. Why not just leave 4 minutes sooner?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

136. I was on the Dan Ryan Saturday. Going along with most of the traffic.

I look at my speedometer and I'm doing 80 in a 55. I say most traffic because a good contingent was passing us.

I swear that road gets worse on the weekends. Maybe because it is less crowded. It's kill or be killed. I used to travel that road Monday through Friday. I remember being astounded at the difference the first time I traveled on the road late on a Sunday. My boss was once just about in the middle of a rolling fire-fight coming home from our company Christmas party.


Not to mention dodging road hazards like kitchen chairs, camper tops and complete vinyl roof tops - she'll and all. Seen all that and more.

[ProfessorGAC]

143. I Hate That Road!

Way too curvy and tight for a major thoroughfare. And the express lane local lane exchanges and stuff. Really stupid design. I used to drive it twice a week, but one drive was very early morning so not so bad.

I didn't notice the level of speed you're describing, but plenty faster than i drive.

[alarimer]

124. I think driverless cars are meant for interstate driving

The most boring kind of driving there is.

People have a bad habit of touching their brakes when they don't need to. It causes a cascade and slows everything down behind them.

http://www.npr.org/2013/11/29/247825768/phantom-traffic-jams-what-causes-mysterious-highway-backups

Driverless cars won't do that; they will be programmed to do what the article says: maintain exact distances between vehicles.

[B Calm]

126. Many trucks are governed to run below 70 mph, how many trucks did you pass?

You go slowly passing a long string of trucks, you are going to piss off a lot of other drivers. It's also not safe to drive along side of trucks.

[MineralMan]

133. I passed two trucks. Both had oversized loads.

At that time of day, there were few large trucks on that stretch of I-35. Thanks for asking. I briefly moved into the left lane to pass in a break in the traffic, slowing down behind the truck until I wouldn't obstruct any of the faster traffic, accelerated back to 70 to pass and then returned to the right lane, and pushed the resume button on my cruise control to maintain 70 MPH.

[CTyankee]

137. They are more important than other drivers on the road.

They have serious business to attend to. Besides, they have exceptional driving skills that the rest of us do not possess. It's really simple, MM...

[Rex]

144. This, "dam kids get off my lawn" moment brought to you by

MineralMan.