Speed Limits

[papayahed]

Do you:

Go the speed limit at all times?
Think it's just a suggestion?
Applies to all the other drivers?
Is meant for bad drivers and not you?

[motherhubbard]

I have a problem driving too slow. I feel like I'm just flying when I go the speed limit. It's different on these windy county roads. On the interstate it doesn't bother me as long as I can see way far ahead, but I hate driving in traffic. the truth is, I'm just not a good driver. I wish that my husband would drive me when I need to go some where. Men used to do that all the time.

[pussnboots]

For the most part I drive the speed limit except when I am on an open highway, then I'll usually go a little bit faster. Even then it doesn't seem to be fast enough for the other drivers on the road so I move over to let them pass and then curse them out :lol:

[NikolaiI]

I have a problem driving too slow. I feel like I'm just flying when I go the speed limit. It's different on these windy county roads. On the interstate it doesn't bother me as long as I can see way far ahead, but I hate driving in traffic. the truth is, I'm just not a good driver. I wish that my husband would drive me when I need to go some where. Men used to do that all the time.

In my mind that is the definition of a good driver. A bad driver is one who is always going at least 5 miles over the speed limit - bad because dangerous.

I always go under the speed limit because the speed limits have been increasing for so long, and it's all relative anyway. Actually the speed limit is very fast, and if you go much over, the possible consequences of a mistake increase exponentially, as I learned in high school. :lol:

[skib]

That all depends on what kind of road it is. In town, I am always within 2-3 mph of the speed limit. There are loads of remote county roads and such I don't feel bad about doubling the limit. That being said, those are roads I can see everything coming and going within a few miles. There are obviously spots with blind corners and where the view is blocked, and I always slow down for those.

[kilted exile]

Drive to the pace of traffic around me, if I am in the middle of a bunch of cars doing 110 in a 100 zone I am not doing 100. If there are 2 lanes I do the speed limit & let people pass if they want.

[1n50mn14]

Inadvertant speeding is the reason I don't have my full driving license.

My instructor: 'Okay, so, that was perfect... except for the fact you were going 15-20 over the speed limit the entire test!'

Probably for the best, then.

[LadyWentworth]

Well, for the most part, I go the speed limit to about 5 miles over (I was told once that the limit was 7 miles over). But basically, how I drive (whether it be faster, slower or the exact mph) is all based on weather, time of day, traffic and where I am driving. Where, exactly, I am driving plays a major part in it. I am a little more careful in the suburbs and "country" areas. They are a little harder on speed, and it seems that they don't make it easy for you if you come from the city, for some reason.

[Virgil]

I go about 5-10 miles per hour above the speed limit on the highway.

[Lokasenna]

I believe in common sense - I drive at a speed that I think is safe, which may or may not be below the speed limit. There are lots of times, particularly on the motorway, when 70mph is just too pedestrian, particularly as most people are doing 80-90mph anyway, so I drive (perfectly safely) above the limit. That said, there are places I know where the limit is 30mph, but I would never consider going over 20mph - its just not safe.

I don't know what its like in America (I understand that they are quite draconian about speed limit enforcement), but most of the UK's speed limits predate the Great War - car technology and road quality have improved drastically in that time, so I don't think the current limits are tremendously useful anymore.

[Weisinheimer]

I try to stick pretty close to the speed limit mostly because I'm paranoid about getting speeding tickets. I can't get another ticket or I'll lose my license.

[Scheherazade]

I speed(ie, go +10 over the speed limit). Today I tried to go slower as I remembered this thread while in the car, though.

[Virgil]

I don't know what its like in America (I understand that they are quite draconian about speed limit enforcement),
Hmm, come to think of it I don't recall seeing any traffic police in my few trips to Europe. And there was this Mazarati in Italy that was literally flying, I mean flying. How do they enforce speed laws in Europe? We do have traffic cops that will pull you over. Like I said above I only go 5-10 miles per hour (8-16 km/hr) and mostly closer to the five. Cars typically pass me, unless I'm really late and then I'll push it. Going too slow can also be dangerous to the traffic.

Here's a funny story. My old boss going back at least fifteen years ago was on the highway going from Arizona to San Diego in southern California. It's just blank flat desert for a good stretch and a highway that is so straight that you don't have to move the wheel at all for like an hour. That's a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much. He's flying, really fast probably over 80 to 90 miles per hour (128-144 km/hr). With a highway like that you don't even realize how fast you're going. He flies by a car and as he passes it he realizes it's a police car and he looks across and the cop looks back at him and their eyes meet. He flies by the cop and realizes what he's done so even before the cop puts on his siren he decides to pull over up ahead. The cop pulls up behind him, gets out of the car, walks up to his window, and before he even speaks, my old boss says, "I guess you're going to give me a ticket." And the cop replies, "I guess so." :lol: It amazes me that he just stopped and accepted the ticket before the cop even gave any signal that he was intending to ticket him. Anyway that's a funny story to me, especially if you knew what an air head that old boss was. ;)

Do they pull over speeding cars in Europe? I'm curious.

[skib]

Kansas. Can someone please explain to me why the interstate speed in Kansas is only 70 mph? It's not like it is one of THE most boring drives. Its probably a little like southern Cali just a little more boring. I was driving across Kansas last month and I love driving- that is what I do for fun/to relax. I would just forget that I was driving. I would let go of the wheel and turn around to look at the people behind us it was so awful. Not that this is totally relevant- other than the speed limit question. Anybody know?

[Lokasenna]

@ Virgil:

Oh yes, they certainly pull you over in the UK, though my experiences on the continent suggest that the Europeans don't really care much.

However, in the UK they prefer speed cameras and hidden police-cars with speed monitors on them. Most of the time people only find out they've been caught speeding when the fine pops through their letterbox - its a major source of revenue for the police, so much so that other crimes are percieved as being ignored.

Here in North Wales, we live under the cruel tyranny of one Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom, who is styled as "the Mad Mullah of the Traffic Taliban" by the press, because of his fanatical obsession with catching speeding motorists, despite the fact that every other crime statistic is going up. He has actually caught 10% of the population of North Wales speeding - 10%! That's a huge number of people to persecute (I know one chap who was fined for doing 31mph in a 30mph zone - they said they had to be strict because there was a school in the area!).

Anyway, it may be a bit off topic, but if you fancy a laugh, have a read of the ABD's webpage on Brunstrom:

http://www.abd.org.uk/brunstrom.htm

[Weisinheimer]

I've heard of people getting pulled over for going 1 mph over the speed limit. That's ridiculous. What are you supposed to do? go under the speed limit?

[kilted exile]

wouldnt worry about getting fined for 1mph over the limit - the reason most cops dont pull you over for such a small amount is that the gun isnt accurate enough. You challenge the ticket & win 9 out of 10

[motherhubbard]

wouldnt worry about getting fined for 1mph over the limit - the reason most cops dont pull you over for such a small amount is that the gun isnt accurate enough. You challenge the ticket & win 9 out of 10

I would say that one mile is not worth getting out of the car. The lowest amount over I've ever seen was five over, but it was in a school zone. The driver was pulled over for speeding every morning and afternoon. She would do 20-35 over all the time. The finally started writing her every time.

[skib]

I've heard of people getting pulled over for going 1 mph over the speed limit. That's ridiculous. What are you supposed to do? go under the speed limit?

I've heard that the state patrol in Texas is extremely strict. I had a teacher that got pulled over for doing 72 in a 70. Then there's South Dakota where there is one patrol car for every county . . .

[AimusSage]

I usually go 130+ on the highway, but then again, I have a fast UFO. :D
In the city I usually stand still, or go at a snail's pace. I wouldn't want to hit the car in front of me waiting for the lights to go green. For residential areas with children I have them push the car as it is the only way to be sure they do not get under it, except when going uphill, then they pull my car. It's safer that way.

[a_little_wisp]

LOL, Aimus. You're too funny, guy.

(My aunt is a police officer, so I try to be good)
Go the speed limit at all times?

I do try. On the interstate, The Ewok starts getting a little shaky around 75, anyway.

Think it's just a suggestion?

No! :O It's a LAW-
... But when a very intense soundtrack is playing in my car...

... I start. Well. My lead foot kicks in, and Ewok is doin' well, so...

Applies to all the other drivers?

Yes.

Is meant for bad drivers and not you?

It's meant for EVERYONE.
Though, I think, a lot of times, people - or maybe just me - are stunned when they're pulled over. I mean, I remember one time I was listening to Celine Dion and I was ... well, it was pretty bad. It's probably a good thing I got pulled over.

DRIVE CAREFULLY FOLKS - and hey. Please.

Please.
Please.
Don't talk on your cellphones while you drive.

[AimusSage]

DRIVE CAREFULLY FOLKS - and hey. Please.

Please.
Please.
Don't talk on your cellphones while you drive.
Agreed. I did that once, and the next thing you know, the person on the other side fell down a flight of stairs. :goof:

but seriously, no cellphone usage in a car, every time you do, I will kill a puppy! :flare:

[Annamariah]

I almost always obey speed limits. Sometimes I go a bit too fast, I guess (you can't always keep watching at your speed, and overtaking other cars you usually have to go a bit faster than the limit), but usually I drive just a little bit below (though not so much that it would make all the other drivers behind me mad, I don't like driving behind someone going 10 km/h below the speed limit either). I've never got a speeding ticket, and intend to keep it that way if I can.

Here the police can pull you over if you're going too fast, and we also have some speed cameras here and there.

[Carrolb2]

I used to drive fast everywhere, but the ol' girl is startin' to get old (210,000 miles) and likes to take it a bit slower otherwise she starts makin' angry noises at me.

[JuniperWoolf]

I always go the speed limit, not because I'm crazy for traffic laws but because Grande Cache cops don't really have anything else to do but look for drunk driving and speeding. It's not like we have a lot of gang activity in a town with a population of 3500. We also don't have many roads, the cops just plant themselves in key places around town so you're likely to be caught every time you speed.