Intimidating Drivers

[aczlan]

IMO, 55 is good for "regular" roads in the northeast, but speed limits of 45-65 on the interstates? A limited access road with most of a lane on each side for the shoulder that traffic generally flows down at 75 to 85?

Aaron Z

 

[turnkey4099]

I have no idea what is done in this day and age, but many years ago, traffic surveys were done and speed limits usually set at what 80% of the traffic was currently doing. But then they consider all kinds of other things such as potential hazards, and of course the old 55 mph limit that was meant to reduce the amount of fuel burned.

Now I don't always like the posted speed limit, but I'm usually doing just about that limit whether other traffic likes it or not because (1) I sure don't want to pay any traffic fines and the resulting increase in insurance premiums, and (2) with my background, it'd be very embarrassing to get stopped by an officer for a violation, whether I got a ticket or not.:laughing:

The problem with setting the speed at what 80% are doing is that most people exceed the posted limit by an amount they feel "ticket safe". That speed from my experience driving in every state of the union except Hawaii and way to many coast to coast trips while in themility is usually around 'posted plus 10%'
i.e., posted at 60 the flow will be arund 65-66.

So they raise the posted to 65 and the flow instantly jumps to the low 70s

Of course if they kept raising the limit, eventually it will would be so high that most wouild not exceed it. It would probably also be an unsafe speed for the road.

Harry K

 

[dragoneggs]

My only ***** is why can't people move out of the left lane and let idiots who like to drive fast like me go by? My guess is that it would reduce road rage and ease congestion and even accidents due to people passing on the right... Just my :2cents:

 

[farmgirl19]

Now I don't always like the posted speed limit, but I'm usually doing just about that limit whether other traffic likes it or not because (1) I sure don't want to pay any traffic fines and the resulting increase in insurance premiums

Bird; There are so many ways to keep ones driving record clean now, if you only get the "occasional" ticket. Between Defensive Driving, that can be taken every 3 years, and deferred adjudication, record stays clean! Yes, there are still fees involved, but this girl hasn't had a ticket in over 20 years, at least as far as my record shows. (I've only had 2 I had to dispose of, in that time, but it sure was nice to keep those off of the record.)

And really, anyone who has driven from Fort Worth to Midland can tell ya, that speed limit has needed to be 75 for a LONG time. The boys that mandated it to be 55, didn't drive it once, much less on a monthly basis, when they set that limit. I think a minimum speed of 45 is WAY too slow for a highway. One person doing below the limit is more of a hazard than folks realize.

 

[Bird]

Between Defensive Driving, that can be taken every 3 years

I guess you know that there are a lot of different Defensive Driving courses. Naturally, I was qualified to teach it many years ago, but teaching it wouldn't qualify as taking it. So I used to go sit through one of the courses periodically, and after I retired, we started taking the AARP version (they asked me a couple of time to volunteer to teach the course), and now . . . there are versions, including AARP and AAA that you can take online. We have AAA insurance, but the AARP version, geared more toward older drivers, is cheaper, so my wife and I do that one to get the insurance discount, and refresher courses sure never hurt anyone; might even help. Of course to get the insurance premium discount, you have to do it every 3 years and the last time for us was on June 2 of this year.:laughing:

My wife has never gotten a traffic citation and my last one was in February, 1963.

 

[farmgirl19]

I don't take Defensive Driving every 3 years. Doesn't save much at all on my insurance, as rates are already really low, compared to what my friends pay, and my F-250 is on Commercial rates I have taken it online to dismiss a ticket.

I'm usually lucky and just don't get stopped for speeding. When I was young, I always drove a "hot" car, and would drag off of red lights, etc. Still, I think I had only 3 tickets by the time I finished college. Like I said, been lucky! Of course, I have probably jinxed myself now :laughing:

 

[daugen]

I'm really glad that when I finally hit the last button, the discussion was on driving vs. powering nuclear aircraft carriers with prius engines. But then I skipped a few pages. Holey Moley does this conversation go all over the place...I read for fifteen pages and couldn't go on. Wow, an Olympic medal here for topic wandering. Sure did learn about Prius engines though, thanks MossFlower.

I tried to get my wife to choose either a Passat diesel or a Lexus EShybrid, the new one. I liked both cars. I was amazed how well the Lexus drove. And it was not slow at all. An extremely high performing golf cart maneuvering around cars in a supermarket lot. Eerily quiet. A remarkable appliance.

But to get back on topic, boy it's infectious when we talk about cars..., I've driven semi's, fire trucks, large UHauls, and pulled trailers and boats. Each one had its own capability. Some you never took out of the slow lane, where they belonged. The problem is that we don't have lane control here, and likely due to the plague of distracted drivers out there, way too many people tailgating because then they don't have to drive. They just have to follow somewhere near the car in front, and closer makes sure no one else gets in. Moronic driving, but sadly all too common. Folks, just get the cell phones out of cars and much of this will go away. But I guess that's not going to happen. Now you can talk through the fidelity of your eight surround sound speakers... It's just wrong. And not safe. We make our cars safer and safer, yet we let our drivers get stupider and more distracted. ????

I've driven on the autobahn. Pure heaven. All these people consistently obeying lane priorities and the traffic flow was a joy to watch. And the fast cars weren't the Porsches, they were the big BMW's and S classes from what I saw.
Fast meaning they would drive at 100-110 like our 65. And you just can't do that when some numbnuts is sitting in the left lane eating their burger and talking on the phone. And from what I saw, not very much following too close.

What ever happened to one car length for every ten miles? I still follow it and always keep a car length behind the one ahead, even when stopped at a light, well , maybe a little less. But i never ever climb up on a bumper. Who wants to breath their exhaust? Really...

I leave the big chrome tri-ball hitch on the Suburban because no one tailgates me then. When I take it off, the tailgating increases. No one wants that sucker in their grill, though the oblivious will always be out there.
I also pull over to the right a little in a long line of traffic so the person behind me can see that I am pretty far behind the person in front of me, so all the "pushing" of me to go faster isn't going to work one tiny little bit, so back off fool.
or go around. I don't care, just don't increase my risk of driving. I check my rear view mirror all the time, situational awareness I guess. Learned that from driving a big truck.

Lastly, in my observation, Prius drivers are very black/white. They either go like heck and floor it at the lights, clearly trying to show everyone, hey I'm not slow, and frankly, they aren't if they floor it. Or they drive right at 55, causing massive traffic shifts to get around them. But I'm glad they are there, really, there are millions of prius's on the road, and I agree they are the game changer in our time. I have a BIL with one and they love it. Even the smaller one which looks awfully bare bones inside.

My wife and I are looking at golf carts that are legal to drive on the roads. We were in the PA Dutch country recently and had to patiently sit behind a little black buggy for almost half a mile until we could safely pass. Well, at least the golf cart goes 24mph, though not sure I'd trust the suspension on it at top speed. And then I'll have someone on my truly tiny rear bumper, trying to get around me, and definitely intimidating to me. We need to drive like it might be us in that smaller or slow car. Someday it might be. But if I'm dumb enough to block traffic in the passing lane, I deserve, and always will deserve about a 150db train horn to wake me up. Actually I always flash my lights first, once, and back far enough that I'm reasonably sure they can see the light.

Not sure it's a hybrid issue to some...when the troglodyte driving the lifted F350 three feet off the bumper of a Prius, just to intimidate the little car, would they do the same to a Chevy Volt? Hmmm.

 

[kirkmcquest]

Studies have proven that the so-called "Napolean complex" actually only exists in the minds of those who are observing. In other words, people expect the smaller guy to be humble at all times and when he isn't, they label him a "napolean". When people observed a large man being loud and aggressive they did not have the same reaction. Further studies have shown that larger men are actually much MORE aggressive, and smaller men much more likely to be patient and think through obstacles than resort to violence and anger.

The Napolean complex is not that small guys try to compensate by increased aggression as many in past have thought, but the complex is how people view a smaller man who is displaying aggression. When the large man is loud and violent it is passed off and assumed to be "his right", but when the smaller man loses his temper he is immediately assumed to be compensating. My guess is, the poster would have looked the other way and would not have posted this at all, had the other driver happened to be a large person. But because, by chance, the other driver was smaller he was moved to observe this as a "syndrome". The post really tells us quite a bit about the poster.

 

[MossRoad]

my last one was in February, 1963.

Bird, in 1963 I was two. :laughing:

 

[dmccarty]

When I was young, I always drove a "hot" car, and would drag off of red lights, etc. Still, I think I had only 3 tickets by the time I finished college. Like I said, been lucky! Of course, I have probably jinxed myself now :laughing:

:laughing::laughing::laughing: Farmgirl19 continues to amaze! She is forever 28, is a blonde, who packs heat and used to like to drive a fast car but has no traded up to a truck. :thumbsup::laughing::laughing::laughing:

I used to be a blonde, but I have aged, i.e. turned gray, left 28 a few years ago, gave up on fast cars, and now drive a slow truck.

Later,
Dan