For the Speeders out there.

[Caution]

Do you speed because

[MercutioATC]

1. I speed, but only 5mph or so over the limit.

Maybe 10 on the highway. Generally, that's how fast the rest of the cars are going, anyway.

[camero]

2. What is You and You like to get columns?

I just like to go fast. Plus you can if you leave more space. Not crazy but more like 10 over.

[Caution]

5. sorry bout that

the first time i posted it cropped these for some reason.

[camero]

34. I refreshed and it came back

Thought it was my computer...lol.

[rogerashton]

3. Stupidly?

It depends on the situation. On a long road trip on uncrowded interstate highways, a couple of hours at 80 gets you there in two hours instead of nearly three at 55. Do the math, Nimrod!

Now, speeding to get ahead in traffic is just way dumb. And poking along on the backroads is more fun, if you don't need to be there by noon.

[Caution]

4. actually you are wrong

The time spent getting to and from the highway generally even out the advantage of speeding on any kind of trip that is under 100 miles. I used to commute 75 miles each way every day and had access to three separate highway routes. On every single route the amount of time saved by going 80 rather than 60 was under 10 minutes. Personally, rather than endanger the lives of other people I'd rather leave home ten minutes earlier or be ten minutes late. the amount of time saved is minimal, and if you are doing a drive that takes three hours I would hope that planning ahead would be appropriate.

[JVS]

8. No, they are right. You are choosing a different situation for comparison

[camero]

35. On a commute, yes you're right

On long trips,it does save time. There are some spots in this country where 80 will seem slow.

[coyote]

6. Speeding does not kill....stupid driving does.

There are 10% fewer auto accidents in Germany than there are in the US. The least amount of accidents are on the Autobahn. I contribute this statistic to the fact that Germany has real driver education....US driver education (in my experience) is a joke.

Speeding in itself will not kill you.....reckless speeding (i.e stupid driving) or other stupid drivers will.

[Zero Gravitas]

7. yup

Stupid driving is the problem not speeding per se. Obviously speeding is stupid driving under many circumstances, but not under ALL circumstances.

The questions on the poll are slanted and condesending. Why not try out for a job at FOX "News" you'd fit tight in.

:eyes:

[Kellanved]

12. maybe

But it has huge downsides as well: the cost of the driving licence can be easily as high as the price for the first car (2000€+).
And I hardly see people driving smart: use of the turn indicators is degenerating to a virtue; the speed limit (if there is one) is ignored by people claiming that "the limit is for people driving not as good as I do", one is overtaken left and right and, and, and.

The one positive aspect is that the rising gas-prices seem to have an impact on speeding.

[coyote]

16. Disagree

I disagree Kellenved. I am not saying Germans are perfect drivers, however, I suggest you drive in Boston for a week.....see how many people will let you into their lane when you put your blinkers on. Watch how many people will impede traffic while driving in the left lane. Watch how many people will blow throught red lights.

Good driver education has a cost and to me the cost is worth it if you do a comparison of German Vs. American driving habits. Plus 2000 €uros is a small price to pay for fewer accidents....not to mention cheaper auto insurance one will pay in the long run because of fewer accidents on the road.

I don´t find so many Germans breaking posted speed limits (the polizei normally given you + 10 to 20 kmh leeway anyway) plus there are cameras everywhere. I see Germans use their turn signals more so than the States. And I have never had someone pass me on the right on the Autobahn unless there is stop/go traffic. Your experience is different than mine.

[Kellanved]

20. OK

You've a point with the US traffic - I never did inner city driving in the US, but what I've expierenced is enough. I agree that traffic on German streets is - considering the high speed - rather ordered. I'm driving a lot in the "new" states, where especially the turn-indicators are seldom used, though.
However many other European nations have other, less expensive, ways of driver education, and I wouldn't call the drivers there (well, OK: I do in the case of Belgians) bad.

And I wouldn't oppose a speed limit like in the other European nations (say 120 km/h ; 75 mph), but a speed limit is not discussed rationally in Germany ("Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger") - somehow reminds me of the American gun debate.

[coyote]

21. Agreed

"but a speed limit is not discussed rationally in Germany ("Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger")"

Well I live in Munich....we´re Bavaraians not Germans. ;-) German laws do not apply here. :)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

9. I'm from Massachusetts; I don't know how to NOT speed

We have so much traffic here, when I hit a wide-open road it's an invitation to speed. I don't weave in and out of traffic, I stick to the passing lane.

I don't speed on city streets or in suburbia. Too dangerous.

[coyote]

13. Agreed....

Rt 128 is like the Indianapolis Speedway. I don´t see any problem speeding up Rt 95 towards NH/ME when their is light traffic. Speeding in cities/towns or on heavily congest roadways is just dumb.
This "speeding kills" mantra is also dumb.

[trof]

18. AMEN!

If you keep it at the limit on 128 you're a hazard to navigation and likely to get rear-ended.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Other...I commute 85 miles to work...

usually leave later than I should...and YOU do the math, I always make it on time.

;-)

[LincolnMcGrath]

25. Dang sourthern girl

Is that one way or round trip?

I commute about 130 miles round trip. Of the 65 miles, 54 are interstate. vvvvrrrrooooooommmmmmm

Most people run about 78-85 Anyone in the fast lane doing 65 or less deserves to be spanked with a cold dead carp.

[Maddy McCall]

26. One way...

I do 75 most of the way...it's a 65 mile limit. I have been pulled over, but mustered good excuses and have been let go every time.

Knock on dashboard...uh...wood! :-)

[LincolnMcGrath]

31. My mother

got out of tickets all the time. She was pretty, and many thought I was her brother after I reached my teens

I have a bel radar/laser detector! lol

[xJlM]

11. Most of the time I use cruise control

And then i don't even have to worry about getting a ticket. In the city, I'd rather be aware of all the cars around me than to "go fast". Sorry, but that's just what makes sense to me. And if you want to taligate me, trying to hurry me on, I'm insured and have a valid license and damn good brakes.

[truthspeaker]

14. On certain highways 85 mph is safe, in my opinion

So sue me. I've never gotten in an accident on the freeway.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. I Am Mr. Speed Limit!

People behind me are probably ticked off, but i will not speed for the convenience of others. They should leave a little earlier if they're in that much of a hurry.

Driving at the optimum design speed of my car makes the engine run slower, which means less gas and longer life. I'm protecting myself, obeying the law, and saving cash all at the same time.
The Professor

[GCP]

33. As long as you're not in the passing lane, then I've got no problem

it's the morons who sit in the left hand lane going slower than everybody else on the road who probably cause more accidents than anyone else out there.

[trof]

17. "How to Speed" and Doin' the Math.

"How to Speed"
(from a cop friend)
Cops will usually spot you 10% (NOT 10 mph) over the posted limit, allowing for inaccuracies in speedometers.
However...if you're 10% over and SEE a cop, back off. He doesn't like "in his face".
I set the cruise at 77 on the (70 mph limit) interstate and have never been stopped (knock on wood;-)).

Doin' the Math
77 instead of 70 on a 12 hour drive = 84 miles and over an hour farther down the road at the end of the day.
It's worth it to me.

[Zero Gravitas]

22. Right

If you not saving much time by speeding then obviously you are driving too slowly!

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Eeeep!

You drive 924 miles in a day. You must have a STRONG bladder. Or do you have a catheter?

Don't forget stopping for gas, stopping for the bathroom and stopping to eat reduces the speed differential by the weighted average. So, unless you never stop over that 12 hours (requiring a car with a 1000 mile range) your example is a little hard to accept. More likely you would get about 45 or 50 extra miles. In that case at 77 mph when you arrive, you've only saved 36 minutes.
The Professor

[trof]

28. You've heard of "air-to-air refueling"?

I travel with a tanker truck and do enroute refueling with no pit stops. Got a relief tube for the necessary bodily functions.
;-)
OK, OK, my example is a bit simplistic.
Jeez, there's always some Ph.D. out there...

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Sorry. Just Being Nit Picky

Look i'm not a big fan of arresting speeders. I think cops should be after reckless drivers, not ones in control of the vehicle in good conditions. If you wish to drive faster, that's ok by me.

I just had a chuckle with your example and thought i'd tweak you a bit. But, it was worth it since i got another laugh from your reply.

Fun stuff.
The Professor

[rjbcar27]

19. The thing is, I AM a better driver than everyone else.

And I go as fast as the conditions allow. If that means I'm over the speed limit, then so be it. Many times conditions dictate that I drive well under the limit.

I'm a brilliant driver. :-)

[DS1]

23. yeah, me too

It's a euro thing :7

Obviously other cars on the road put a damper on speeding, and I rarely speed anyway these days, but if it's just me on the open road, squirrels beware - this triple digit rocket is coming through!

[CanuckAmok]

27. I obey the limits in populated areas.

As far as freeways/highways with no pedestrians or residential areas, I'll go as fast as I think I can get away with going. I feel I know what is my safe limit, and I also feel that, unlike populated areas, anyone sharing the use of a highway/freeway is making a kind of a contract that they are participating in a risky venture.

[MojoKrunch]

30. Speed isn't the problem... stupidity is the problem.

People pulling out in front of you onto a highway/Interstate/4 lane surface road inside of 2 car lengths is *STUPID*.

People driving the exact speed limit in the middle and/or left hand lanes(especially if they are even up and no one can pass) is *STUPID*.

People who RIDE THEIR FUCKING BRAKES FOR NO REASON are *STUPID*.

People who think they can talk on their cell phones so long as they slow down *regardless of the situation* are *STUPID*.

People who drive fast and *tailgate* are *STUPID*.

People who think that *rain* means you *must* drive 15-20 mph slower are *STUPID*.

People who can't work a 4-way stop are *STUPID*.

People who work *really hard* to get in front of you and then *SLOW DOWN* are *STUPID*.

And finally people who *insist* on squeezing into my one or two car length "safe zone" in heavy traffic moving at speed, JUST BECAUSE, are *STUPID*.

Gah... now I need a beer.
lol

Mojo

[CanuckAmok]

32. This is more than stupid, it's insane.

I was stopped at a red light about two years ago, and heard the all too familiar SCREEEECH of someone behind me braking too late. This guy in a Volvo (safest car on the road, ya know) slid into me, luckily having slowed down enough to only screw up my bumper and tail-lights, not cause any injury.

Here's the kicker. He was on his phone. BUT, not only was he holding a call during the accident, he wouldn't get off the whole time we were exchanging info. I finallly started screaming loud enough to the person he was talking to "will you hang up on this fucking moron so I can get his insuranace info?!" Even following that outburst, he remained on the phone, and was still on it when I drove away.


BTW, I haven't had any problems with tailgaters since making an "I brake for tailgaters" bumpersticker. And I do!

[camero]

36. He missed the amber did he?

For those not in the know, the provinces in Canada (Western) that I have been to have amber lights about 250ft before an intersection that flashes when the light is red at just about every intersection.

If you put on the brakes at that point, you come to a stop at the light everytime if you are within 5 miles of the speed limit.

That guy was a real moron.

[AntiCoup2K4]

38. The Amber lights are a great thing on the BC highways, but.....

.... why the fuck don't they put in a few overpasses and offramps rather than have the main highways turn into a parking lot during peak traffic.

(This is my one and only complaint with driving in Canada)

[CanuckAmok]

39. the newer systems have lots of them.

Like the 401, 410, 427 series in Ontario.

The older highways are generally not built up because the overall volume on them doesn't warrant over/underpasses. They try to keep the cost and environmental impact to a minimum.

It can be frustrating between 3 and 6 pm, but I think it's a fair trade off to not having endless loops of concrete everywhere.

Bud don't get me started on Greater Vancouver (pop: 2.5 million), and its complete lack of a highway/freeway system...

[camero]

43. Love the amber lights

They should have them here in the US. I never had to go through a red light up there, ever.

[Nailzberg]

37. I agree with you, except for the rain thingy.

Now if you're talking surface roads in the 35-45 range, yeah a 15-20 decrease is unwarranted and too damn slow.
But if you mean expressways, where traffic is normally about 75-80 mph, I think slowing to about 55-60 is reasonable.
That's why So Cal freeways get these 70 car pileups all the time, cause they don't understand how weather effects road conditions. I think rain, snow, and fog are just about the ONLY things that will slow me down, police roadblocks accounted for.
Some people won't slow down for anything, but that's job security for me. Nasty car wreck = great footage

[MojoKrunch]

40. I'll admit the rain thing is partly my backround

Having grown up in Louisiana where it rained all the damned time, if we all slowed down 20 mph I'd *still* be there trying to get around.
Heck, I was shocked when I first moved away to a state where the roads weren't all cut with groves to let the water drain.

And here in central NC the propensity for "flash flooding" is kinda high.
But when you're on the *Interstate* loop *around the city* which has no flood spots, there is simply no damned reason to slow down *that much*.
I'm not talking about *blinding rain*, mind you... I'm talking about *any* little old rain.
4 drops, BAM!
Slow down like a hurricane is coming.

//Now if you're talking surface roads in the 35-45 range, yeah a 15-20 decrease is unwarranted and too damn slow.//
Actually, given the roads here I'm ok with that sort of slowdown.
These fools drive bad enough I don't need them hydro-planing into me as well.

//But if you mean expressways, where traffic is normally about 75-80 mph, I think slowing to about 55-60 is reasonable.//
Why?
What exactly is going to happen *because of the rain*?
I'm not saying don't be *more alert* because of the rain... but slowing down *for no reason* causes more problems than it solves.

//That's why So Cal freeways get these 70 car pileups all the time, cause they don't understand how weather effects road conditions.//
Nah, they get those pileups because some fool does something *stupid* like jam on his brakes for no damn reason while everyone else is following too closely.

The "funniest" driving conditions I was ever in was back in 85 or 86 one winter in Louisiana when Michael Jackson was playing in New Orlean and we got a winter ice storm that was ridiculous.
1/2 inch of ice on *everything*.

My normal weekend commute back to my parents house took an extra hour because I had to drive 35 for half the way on the Interstate service roads, primarily because the Interstate was blocked by jack-knifed tractor trailers.
It was fun... I'd always been curious about those "bridge may ice first" signs required on *all* little bridges in Louisiana... and being "The Bayou State" there are quite a few... I mean in the 10 years I'd been driving in La. I'd *never* driven across a frozen bridge before.

Going almost sideways across them on that thin sheet of ice was actually kinda fun.
They were all short and I was only going about 35 so I straightened out when I reached the other side. Yehaw.

You shoulda seen the *rest* of the state try to get around, especially the people going to see MJ after they closed down all of the Interstates.(because the state of La. doesn't even know what an snow plow or a deicing truck even *looks* like)

//I think rain, snow, and fog are just about the ONLY things that will slow me down, police roadblocks accounted for.//
Snow and fog will if it is thick.
As will heavy downpoor rain or flooding/icing conditions.
But not a normal every day snow or rain.

//Some people won't slow down for anything, but that's job security for me. Nasty car wreck = great footage//
The *worst* are the guys driving the big-assed trucks who think they can do 90 in the snow.

Mojo

[methinks2]

41. Yes, I am a superior

driver. It's good to be me! O8)

[slackmaster]

42. It depends on where I'm going and the traffic

While driving my normal commute to work (about 12 miles, mostly freeway) I go with the flow of traffic, which is typically about 75 MPH.

From San Diego to Las Vegas (over 400 miles across mostly desert) you bet your ass I speed. On the open highway with no traffic I see no reason not to go as fast as you can safely handle your vehicle. For me that's about 90 as long as there is no traffic.