People are driving like maniacs!

[CharlesInCharge]

your driving below the speed limit, what do you expect? I have driven over 1+ million miles in my life in a car just traveling around due to college or road trips and even cops will pass you all day if your driving below or at the speed limit.

Odds of dying in a car accident at speeds above 70mph increase exponentially (e.g. skyrocket). I tend to keep my speeds below 70mph, unless I'm just going a short burst for a good reason.

I also drive well under the speed limits when the weather is bad.

Driving is the most dangerous activity people regularly engage in, daily. It's smart to do it smartly.

I'd venture I've driven 1/3 million miles myself. Hard to say. Maybe that's a low estimate? Probably ridden as much as well...

 

[Dave Hess]

Don't travel in packs. Slow or accelerate to put yourself in some kind of middle ground between one group and the next. People hanging in my blind spot is one of my driving pet peeves. It leaves you no escape.

Sometimes I’m in a pack and have to ‘snake’ thru the pack and get up to 100 mph to reduce the crash risk.

 

[SevenBizzos]

They know LE's are not engaging unless they have to.

I make it 16 miles up and down the highway in under 12 minutes - every commute. And I'm only in the top half of speed.

 

[Wolf359]

Odds of dying in a car accident at speeds above 70mph increase exponentially (e.g. skyrocket). I tend to keep my speeds below 70mph, unless I'm just going a short burst for a good reason.

I also drive well under the speed limits when the weather is bad.

Driving is the most dangerous activity people regularly engage in, daily. It's smart to do it smartly.

I'd venture I've driven 1/3 million miles myself. Hard to say. Maybe that's a low estimate? Probably ridden as much as well...

You're close, but it's not the speed that kills, it's the variation in speed that kills. Lots less reaction time when you're doing 60 and someone is doing 80 or 90. If you're doing 70 and someone else is doing 80, the closing time is less. That's why the recommended speed limit should be at whatever 85% of the people are driving at. Keep up with the flow of traffic or you ARE traffic.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

You're close, but it's not the speed that kills, it's the variation in speed that kills. Lots less reaction time when you're doing 60 and someone is doing 80 or 90. If you're doing 70 and someone else is doing 80, the closing time is less. That's why the recommended speed limit should be at whatever 85% of the people are driving at. Keep up with the flow of traffic or you ARE traffic.

Partly correct, but it's human reaction time plus rapid deceleration (or negative acceleration).
Speed kills. Even when others are hitting you b/c they are driving too fast for conditions.
And conditions are essentially never safe on public roads at 80+ mph IMO. You cannot react fast enough to miss or survive a deer/car impact, or a blowout and rollover, etc. Thing that are totally unpredictable yet occur.

Fog, ice, road debris, blowouts, mechanical failures, animals, etc. all unexpectedly cause rapidly reduced speeds. And far less reaction time.

Ever see the major pileups? Tens or hundreds of cars. It's because people are really really bad at driving and instead of smartly driving slower and more defensively, they drive like the world is ending.

Folks could easily drive and survive (or even prevent) probably most of those pileups, if they drove at reasonable speeds to meet the conditions. But they don't.

Average human reaction in ideal circumstances is about 1.5 seconds from observation to action. So your distance in that time is whatever your speed is; then there's the braking time. This is assuming an alert driver, ideal conditions and circumstances.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/stopping-distance

In ideal circumstances with 1.5 second reaction time:
50mph = 230ft to stop.
60mph = 304ft to stop.
70mph = 388ft to stop.
80mph = 482ft to stop.
90mph = 585ft to stop.
100mph = 700ft to stop. That's 2.1 football fields to stop... A 10mph increase is 18% further to stop.

Sprinkle in distraction, impairment, slow observation, slow reaction, poor mechanical conditions (poor tires, poor brakes, etc.) and exponentially worse results. So let's increase reaction to 2.5 seconds, to stop in an emergency.

50mph = 302ft to stop.
60mph = 392ft to stop.
70mph = 491ft to stop.
80mph = 600ft to stop.
90mph = 717ft to stop. Over 2.1 football fields.
100mph = 845ft to stop. Nearly 3 football fields.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

Speed kills. Odds of dying in a auto accident are directly related to speeds and the higher the speeds the higher the fatality rates.
https://www.emcins.com/losscontrol/insights-d/2020/08/speed-increases-risk/
"The old cliché, 'speed kills' is 100% accurate," says Jim Stotser, EMC Senior Engineer. For every 10 mph of increased speed, the risk of dying in a crash doubles. In addition, speed increases the risk of serious injuries and damage to vehicles and property. In fact, speed accounted for approximately one-third of all traffic deaths in 2018, totaling 9,378 deaths....In practical terms, increasing driving speed from 60 mph to 80 mph increases the risk of a fatal crash by 4 times...."

 

[aquariuscsm]

Speed limits should be lowered back down to 55 and enforced.

That would never work nowadays. Too many people commute long distances now. The world is so much different now that it was back in the mid 1980s.

 

[Nick1994]

Everyone around here drives like a snail! I've never seen people accelerate away from a green light so slowly...especially on a green arrow that's only there for a few seconds.

This! I don't feel like I'm that fast of a driver, but I'm always the first one across an intersection.

 

[supton]

This! I don't feel like I'm that fast of a driver, but I'm always the first one across an intersection.

Years ago when the turbo quit on my VW I was *still* out accelerating people at the toll booth! We're talking less than 50hp I bet.

Had a first today: everyone complains about Prius drivers, but I've never come across a true slowpoke. Today I had to all but stop on an on-ramp due to one. Granted, it was a red yield, and a short on ramp, but it was a first. [Had to wind it out to merge when I was able to, I had lost all momentum. Hard life I guess, glad I wasn't in my '99 Camry, now that's a slow car to merge with.]

 

[mightymousetech]

Somebody should go tell those crazy Germans their highways are death traps!!!!

 

[CharlesInCharge]

Somebody should go tell those crazy Germans their highways are death traps!!!!

Or, perhaps:

Drivers in Germany are far more restricted than in the US, where nearly anyone of age can get a license. I know US drivers who never took any drivers education! In Germany, it takes 6 months and $2000. IOW, irresponsible idiots don't get to drive in Germany whereas in the US the represent most drivers.
It's not unrestricted speeds, and many areas have speed limits.
It's smartly designed.
Roads are better maintained in Germany than the US.
Vehicle inspections in Germany are mandated, whereas the US they are not.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Having just completed a 2600 mile cross country interstate drive, I witnessed two near accidents, and was nearly involved in one.

the first two occurred as someone in the left lane, passing myself, did not put their turn signal and merge back into the right lane fast enough for the person tailgating them, in both cases a lifted brotruck with blinding LEDs in halogen housings, and fog lights with LEds, and light bars blaring away. When the driver passing me put on their turn signal and began to drift over, the highly entitled brotruck maniac was already foot to the floor cutting me off, trying to pass them on the right and they had to swerve abruptly back into the left lane. I was already foot off the gas, foot hovering over brake pedal, knowing what was coming, but had the expected collision occurred I can only hope I could have avoided it. One of these incidents occurred in West Texas, one in east, in both cases minimal traffic around and late at night.

The one I was nearly involved in was during a hard downpour on I-75 south, near Ocala, 2 Am or so. The lane reflectors in this area don't reflect anything, at least in a downpour, the lane demarkations not visible, and I was slowed way down, in what I thought must be the right lane, when some jeep passes me in far left lane, two lanes, maybee 3 over, then swerves in front of me, and no brake lights ever came on, but their slow down was as if they slammed it into second gear, or had pulled their brake light fuse. It seemed an intentional attempt to get me to crash. If not intentional then it was by far the worst piece of driving I have ever seen. They then accelerated away, took the next exit at a speed which would have been uncomfortable had it been dry.

Defensive driving has to be taken to a different level these days, as more and more people are not just ignorant and inconsiderate and poor judges of speed distance and momentum, but intentionally arrogant and have become intentionally evil, and inconsideration is apparently tied to their ego, meaning show none, anytime, towards anyone, ever.

Expect considerate driving behavior to be met with contempt and derision by more and more of those with tiny genitals, in oversized vehicles they cant afford.

 

[Dave Hess]

I was on the Turnpike snaking thru slower traffic and a Toyota Tundra was also in back of me doing the same (approx 6 car lengths behind me).

As soon as the slower traffic clears, no traffic for a mile ahead of me I immediately go WOT.
50.... 60.... 70.... 80.... 90.... 100..... 110 mph.....

I look in my rear view mirror and Tundra is also WOT and still 6 car lengths behind. We both eventually catch up to slower traffic and we hit the brakes. Snake thru slower traffic and again WOT.

This took place about 5X times and he also had a lead foot. Those V8 Tundras are pretty quick at highway speeds.

 

[CT Rob]

I went on a holiday short road trip, about 5 hours on the highways combined day and night driving. I noticed that people are driving very recklessly these days. The biggest observation is impatience and very high speeds. Modern vehicles are enabling speeds of 100mph to be effortlessly common.

I cruise usually at the speed limit or slightly below or above, but drop it down dramatically for bad weather. Today I was on the highway, clear cold day, roads in good safe condition. I was driving slightly below the speed limit, 70mph. Probably 100 cars passed me at speeds exceeding 80-90mph, many seemed to be going 100mph.

Another thing I noticed is serious tailgating; no margin for errors. And rapid lane changing without warning (or need).

And night driving has become very difficult because it seems all new cars have double sets of flood lights, and lifted trucks are the worst offenders. They nearly blind me coming toward me, or right behind me.

It's almost to the point I no longer feel safe on the highways with the speeds people are driving!

Edited: I'm an excellent driver with 1 accident in my life that was my fault when I was a brand new 16 year old driver. I've had less than 5 speeding tickets in my life, the last one 10+ years ago. Drivers today seem to be either extremely dangerous, or extremely inconsiderate. I know that's not the case but it just seems this way.

Its getting worse by the day.Soooo many red light runners and left turn on red and stop sign runners, tailgators you name it.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Yeah exactly.
I drive 60 in a 50 because I have to.
Then I still get tailgated

how about just moving over to a slower lane? your car comes equipped with a rearview mirror - use it!

 

[AlphaOmega]

Slow down for them.

and cause an accident.... smh

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

and cause an accident.... smh

No.. they go around you... smh

 

[Zee09]

how about just moving over to a slower lane? your car comes equipped with a rearview mirror - use it!

No slower lane here.
Rural roads. Often no shoulders.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Having just completed a 2600 mile cross country interstate drive, I witnessed two near accidents, and was nearly involved in one.

the first two occurred as someone in the left lane, passing myself, did not put their turn signal and merge back into the right lane fast enough for the person tailgating them, in both cases a lifted brotruck with blinding LEDs in halogen housings, and fog lights with LEds, and light bars blaring away. When the driver passing me put on their turn signal and began to drift over, the highly entitled brotruck maniac was already foot to the floor cutting me off, trying to pass them on the right and they had to swerve abruptly back into the left lane. I was already foot off the gas, foot hovering over brake pedal, knowing what was coming, but had the expected collision occurred I can only hope I could have avoided it. One of these incidents occurred in West Texas, one in east, in both cases minimal traffic around and late at night.

The one I was nearly involved in was during a hard downpour on I-75 south, near Ocala, 2 Am or so. The lane reflectors in this area don't reflect anything, at least in a downpour, the lane demarkations not visible, and I was slowed way down, in what I thought must be the right lane, when some jeep passes me in far left lane, two lanes, maybee 3 over, then swerves in front of me, and no brake lights ever came on, but their slow down was as if they slammed it into second gear, or had pulled their brake light fuse. It seemed an intentional attempt to get me to crash. If not intentional then it was by far the worst piece of driving I have ever seen. They then accelerated away, took the next exit at a speed which would have been uncomfortable had it been dry.

Defensive driving has to be taken to a different level these days, as more and more people are not just ignorant and inconsiderate and poor judges of speed distance and momentum, but intentionally arrogant and have become intentionally evil, and inconsideration is apparently tied to their ego, meaning show none, anytime, towards anyone, ever.

Expect considerate driving behavior to be met with contempt and derision by more and more of those with tiny genitals, in oversized vehicles they cant afford.

The Jeep does sound like they were making attempt to get you involved in an insurance scam.

Sort of like this
^^ takeaway of the video: Manipulation of brake lights to cause accident.

 

[AlphaOmega]

No.. they go around you... smh

I can explain it to you, I can't understand for you... SMH