People are driving like maniacs!

[Cujet]

Apparently this thread has brought out a few resident irresponsible unsafe drivers who feel compelled to brag about how they are endangering families with illegal reckless driving habits. It's an illness.

It's interesting to note that speed is not the major problem although it is often listed as a factor. A silly example, but we all know airplanes regularly and safely achieve warp speed before ever leaving the ground. Human error is the factor that tops the list. We can break it down from there. Distraction, Drunk, Fatigue, Reckless, Conditions, Intersections, running red lights, Age, and night driving are all far more dangerous than speed itself.

Another interesting fact, if a driver is sober, alert, it's daytime, and the driver is over 30 and under 65, it has been traditionally safer to drive then fly. Although, lately we've not had any major airline crashes.

Even Wikipedia mentions "The [speed] limit's effect on highway safety is unclear". As fatalities decreased as limits were raised.

 

[mightymousetech]

I wasn't making a statement about the speed, I was simply refuting your absurd position that traffic laws are my OPINION. They are the law.

If you're driving 140 in a 110, that's over 20% over the limit. I hope someone driving 20% over the limit would lose her/his license for at least a short term.

Welcome to Ontario. No suspension until 50 km/hr over. Do 50 over however and you will have the book thrown at you. (Licence suspension, vehicle impound and minimum $10,000 fine) Have been clocked at 140 km/hr several times by police in that stretch and the police don’t care. It’s only 30 over.

 

[Skippy722]

LOL. Um, my entitledness? You're making my point for me. You might want a driving refresher. It's a privilege and you have to obey speed limits. Not my opinion.

Many states in the US have a law allowing for “reasonable and prudent” speeding on highways. I mean good luck convincing a cop or judge that 90 is reasonable and prudent, but there is a stretch of highway near Chicago that has a posted 55mph limit that is ignored by EVERYONE. 70-80 is the norm. Cops won’t pull you over until you’re over 85.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Wide open roads around Cincinnati and I had a gray Volkswagen Golf pacing me doing 90.

I have decided to re-enter this thread on a limited basis and everyone is entitled to their own opinion in regards to how they view this matter.

 

[Hal-9000]

Wide open roads around Cincinnati and I had a gray Volkswagen Golf pacing me doing 90.

I have decided to re-enter this thread on a limited basis and everyone is entitled to their own opinion in regards to how they view this matter.

What was the speed limit “around Cincinnati” when you were driving 90 mph?

 

[alarmguy]

Many states in the US have a law allowing for “reasonable and prudent” speeding on highways. I mean good luck convincing a cop or judge that 90 is reasonable and prudent, but there is a stretch of highway near Chicago that has a posted 55mph limit that is ignored by EVERYONE. 70-80 is the norm. Cops won’t pull you over until you’re over 85.

I don't think that is mean't in thew way you have posted.
You can be ticketed for going the speed limit or even under the speed limit if driving conditions suggest it is not a reasonable and prudent speed given the conditions. More or less it has more to do with slowing down your speed under the speed limit more then being given a green light to speed.

This is Alabama Code but many other states have the same (almost exactly the same words too) =
"No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. Consistent with the foregoing, every person shall drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hill crest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, and when special hazards exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions."

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

What was the speed limit “around Cincinnati” when you were driving 90 mph?

My answer to you will be two fold:

1. In the absence of police it doesn't really matter. Flow of traffic will dictate how things go here.

Clear weather conditions, since I basically know what you and your pal are going to say before you even say it these same arguments you think I haven't heard this stuff before. I know your type.

2. I am not 100% sure but it was either 65 or 70 more than likely.

So I will help you out a little bit...

Ask me if I know I was speeding
Ask me if I felt I was being unsafe
Ask me if I was being unsafe given the conditions I just described to you and please spare me your drivel of an answer
Ask me if I would do it again
Ask me if I received a ticket
Ask me if I caused an accident
Ask me if it is my duty to do what you want
Ask me if it is required of me to drive how you feel I should
Ask me if I will ever impose my driving will upon you
And tell me if you would be that one person that tries to call the police to get them to intercept me to give me a ticket based on your word.

I said I am really trying to spread on a limited basis and I mean it. My profession I operate vehicles that I have the right-of-way and I am trained in safety and it is built into what I do. So that alone should tell you that if I didn't feel the conditions were safe that I wouldn't do it.

You'll have to take your concerns about speed up with those that run the Autobahn in Germany highway system because your arguments are simply going nowhere so again think about everything I've said and hopefully or maybe even it will sink in a little bit because I'm going to be respectful to you.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Got my cruise set at 75 right now as I continue my cross-country Interstate road trip to visit family members that live all over the place. Speed limit is 70.

Therefore, sarcasm, I am speeding and putting everyone in danger so. Police phone number is....

This Thread really appears to have devolved so I suppose I will again exit it.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all and be safe.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Call 911 on an impaired driver just now hands-free in the hope they actually do something about it.

Merry Christmas to you all and be safe.

 

[BusyLittleShop]

The only thing I think we can debate is where are the police there used to be more of them..

To me they are every where...

 

[Gladtojoin88]

Tailgating in any lane is stupid and dangerous, even in the left lane.

Aside from that, it REALLY bothers me when I'm going as fast as I possibly can in the left lane and I have someone right on me.

Take the not uncommon hypothetical where I pull out to pass a semi going 65 only to get stuck behind one going 67. In that situation, what am I supposed to do? Unless I do something really stupid like pass in the shoulder, I'm not getting around the semi in front of me. I have another one to my right. I'm "boxed in" and it's going to be a minute or two before the one in front of me is in the right lane.

In that situation, what good will someone tailgating me do? I'm sure not going to go any faster, nor can I get over. I'm still within the "slower traffic keep right" law as I'm moving faster than the right lane, and I'm still within the "Keep right except to pass" law as I'm actively passing the vehicle on my right.

Yes, as soon as I can do so I'll either step on the gas or get out of the way(or both) but in the interim the only thing you being a few feet from my bumper does is make things super unsafe if something happened that I had to make an emergency maneuver in that lane.

As fast as you can in the left lane will help you find the right lane .. just like I do after I pass which is what the left lane is for . I am passing so let me do that safely in the fast lane . Am I too fast for you ? Then talk about that in the right lane as I pass you ..

 

[Ignatius]

I got a little ticked off at some lady who had traffic on I-70 backed up around Vandalia, IL yesterday. The right lane was one semi after another and she was putting along at 70mph not making any effort to get out of anyone's way in the left lane. It took her about 10 minutes until she finally got into the right lane, I feel like that is so inconsiderate of everyone else on the road and I see it waaaaay too often. I did 10+ hours of freeway driving over the past few days and thankfully that was the most egregious thing I saw. Thanksgiving this year was much worse for driving.

 

[bunnspecial]

As fast as you can in the left lane will help you find the right lane .. just like I do after I pass which is what the left lane is for . I am passing so let me do that safely in the fast lane . Am I too fast for you ? Then talk about that in the right lane as I pass you ..

I don't know what you're trying to accomplish or implying, but what is tailgating me going to do if I'm stuck behind a truck going 67 and the one to the right of me is going 65?

If I weren't there in that situation, what would you do, tailgate the truck? Do you think that you're going to make them go faster.

Believe it or not, the person you're tailgating isn't always dictating the left lane speed, and as long as they're actively passing they have as much right to be there as you.

Tailgating is idiotic and there are no mental gymnastics I can think of that would justify it. All you're going to do is make yourself mad and potentially make the person behind you mad, all while making things dangerous.

Drive as fast as you won't. I don't care, and I'll stay out of your way when I can, but DON'T TAILGATE ME. I see tailgating as the single biggest issue in driving today.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

I got a little ticked off at some lady who had traffic on I-70 backed up around Vandalia, IL yesterday. The right lane was one semi after another and she was putting along at 70mph not making any effort to get out of anyone's way in the left lane. It took her about 10 minutes until she finally got into the right lane, I feel like that is so inconsiderate of everyone else on the road and I see it waaaaay too often. I did 10+ hours of freeway driving over the past few days and thankfully that was the most egregious thing I saw. Thanksgiving this year was much worse for driving.

It wasn't long ago when the speed limit was 65mph.

70mph in December in Illinois is now considered "putting along?!" Good grief. What would you have this person do? Go faster than she's comfortable with and probably beyond the speed limit? Weave in and out of semi trucks putting her and everyone in danger of an accident? Just so you're not momentarily inconvenienced? Where are you going in life that the extra few minutes this cost you makes any real world difference?

Let's assume you wanted to go 80mph. She held you back at 70mph for an extra 10 minutes.
How far can you get in 10 minutes with that extra unimpeded 10mph. About 6 miles. Which is a whopping 5 minutes ...

I guess it's better if folks die in speeding accidents so others aren't inconvenienced by following the speed laws? In December?!

 

[spasm3]

As long as they move over to the right so I can pass, I have no problem with them.

It wasn't long ago when the speed limit was 65mph.

I guess it's better if folks die in speeding accidents so others aren't inconvenienced by following the speed laws? In December?!

I'm sure the many fewer people would die in auto accidents if the speed limit were say 25 mph?
Wouldn't it be worth it to save even one life ? If not hundreds Every year?

Or is there a trade off of safety to practicality?

Where do you draw the line where one speed is safe, and 10 mph more is utter lunacy?

IIRC. Hoover era roads were designed for 70 mph back then. Certainly modern cars, brakes, safety equipment are better than 70 years ago?

 

[Ignatius]

It wasn't long ago when the speed limit was 65mph.

70mph in December in Illinois is now considered "putting along?!" Good grief. What would you have this person do? Go faster than she's comfortable with and probably beyond the speed limit? Weave in and out of semi trucks putting her and everyone in danger of an accident? Just so you're not momentarily inconvenienced? Where are you going in life that the extra few minutes this cost you makes any real world difference?

Let's assume you wanted to go 80mph. She held you back at 70mph for an extra 10 minutes.
How far can you get in 10 minutes with that extra unimpeded 10mph. About 6 miles. Which is a whopping 5 minutes ...

I guess it's better if folks die in speeding accidents so others aren't inconvenienced by following the speed laws? In December?!

It was 70 degrees Fahrenheit that day so it's not like we were driving through a blizzard. We've had a few threads on this website recently you might not be aware of that speak about the fact of how frustrated people are with how inconsiderate others are with their bad driving habits. Hogging the left lane, driving too slow in the left lane, not making effort to get out of the left lane, etc tends to be among the most obnoxious things many people take issue with.

Seriously don't start a thread to complain about how other people drive if you don't want others joining in.

Oh look here's that other recent thread:

Long trip: driving has changed

I spent a couple of days doing some multi state driving. It’s been a while, and it was nice to roll a bit. Getting bored with the radio and podcasts, I decided to watch the post lockdown driving styles people have. Left lane hogs seem to have different types: 1. The zoomer, who is going...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[Dave Hess]

I got a little ticked off at some lady who had traffic on I-70 backed up around Vandalia, IL yesterday. The right lane was one semi after another and she was putting along at 70mph not making any effort to get out of anyone's way in the left lane. It took her about 10 minutes until she finally got into the right lane, I feel like that is so inconsiderate of everyone else on the road and I see it waaaaay too often. I did 10+ hours of freeway driving over the past few days and thankfully that was the most egregious thing I saw. Thanksgiving this year was much worse for driving.

+ 1000000 %

 

[64bawagon]

I'm sure the many fewer people would die in auto accidents if the speed limit were say 25 mph?
Wouldn't it be worth it to save even one life ? If not hundreds Every year?

Or is there a trade off of safety to practicality?

Where do you draw the line where one speed is safe, and 10 mph more is utter lunacy?

IIRC. Hoover era roads were designed for 70 mph back then. Certainly modern cars, brakes, safety equipment are better than 70 years ago?

Cars keep getting better, humans.... not so much

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

People are not fully awake yet, but I've already been tailgated once (in the township) and had strong passive-aggressive vibes at lights where people were contemplating challenging me to get to a merge first, the whole let off the brakes just before you think it will turn green.

I would think most road rage happens in the morning commute to work, when people need their most readily available drug.. Coffee.

Merry day after Christmas, I am still mostly avoiding this thread because I have seen both some nonsense and bait in it, the wisdom to know the difference I hope we all have, and also some Ivory Tower individuals that more than likely do not live in the real world. I will not be succeptible to these things in 2022 and things appear to be going fine.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

That’s most drivers in my area too. They come flying up behind you tailgate you for a second then swerve into the other lane and go around you like a maniac.

Well down here a good thing came up out of a very bad thing. There was a bad accident that involved 4-5 vehicles and many major injuries on a highway with a POSTED 55 mph speed limit. Of course it took 2 to 3 years of legal granstanding. All sorts of appeals & postponement requests for all type of special considerations for the person who was clearly the cause "on clear video evidence films from victims autos." Finally a Judge stepped forward and issued a trial date. The driver who caused all of this carnage and pain and suffering by the vicitms and their families was going to be forced to face her victims in public in a trial. They threw the book at her for causing all of the damages and injuries and they judge even felt he needed to make a statement to her about what she has caused to innocent human beings just trying to travel in peace and safety. The results were that this unappologetic girl who was a juvenile at the time she caused all of the mess will have to pay several thousands (don't know where the money will come from) and was sentenced to serve 12 months in a juvenile detention center, loss of driving privileges for 24 months and a long 5 years of probation and community services. Many felt she deserved much more due to her callous disregard for others safety and she showed zero sign of sorrow and would not even admit it was her young , impatient , selfishly , wild driving attitude that led to her causing the accident by weaving in and out of traffic at high speed to suddenly slamming on brakes to cross two lanes of traffic to attempt a turn cause she claimed in her defense (OMG) that she was late to pick up her daughter!? So... I guess justice was served. Juvenile + mother of a child already. No husband or signifigant other to help with child... Caused major wreck in a borrowed car with minimal insurance + caused major injuries and suffering to people and destroyed all the vehicles simply because she was LATE to be someplace! She still would not admit she caused the accident and did not appologize to anyone! Who raises these kind of so called "young adults!"