Reported a bad driver to the regional Police

[PumpPusher]

Originally Posted by mk378
Seriously, a guy late for a business meeting going 85 mph through fog almost died.

Allow me to shed zero tears.


Nothing wrong with that, guys like that get [censored] done!

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by grampi
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by grampi
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Basic rule of the road is to stay right unless passing. The speeders are for the police to catch, not for citizens to left lane hog. That's vigilantism which is never supported by anyone.

If someone comes flying up on me doing 80-100 or more, I signal and move over, like a normal, responsible driver. It's much safer to just move over than to have the speeder cut over 3 lanes maneuver past a few people and then cut back over 3 lanes again to get in front of you. Safer for everyone involved.

All driving law violators are for the police to catch. That includes left lane campers, speeders, tailgaters, etc. I don't park in the left lane to block speeders. I also don't take down plate numbers of speeders to turn them in. I am not a road vigilante. If people want to drive like idiots, that's none of my business. If someone is blocking the left lane and I want to go faster, I pass them on the right. What bothers me is when people pick and choose which laws they want followed. If you can't see the hypocrisy of people who want the stay right except to pass law strictly followed, but are okay with speeders, then I don't know what else to say....


You're focusing too much on the "hypocrisy". It's not an all or nothing approach. Yes, the speed limits are too low. The recommendation is to set them at 85% of what people drive it. They don't really follow that. The highways were designed with a speed limit of 70 in mind.

It doesn't matter if you think the speed limits are too low. They are what they are. Speeding is breaking the law...I know most drivers today do it. I do it, but I'm not going to complain about left lane campers, while at the same time condoning speeding, which is what you, and others in this forum do...


People like to make believe what they do is automatically right.

Modern cars are crash tested for 45mph and below, whether you are on a skateboard, an antique or a modern car the death rate quickly approaches 100% if you crash going above 65mph. Modern cars have [censored] poor survivability at high speeds, PERIOD.

The increasing highway death vrs accident percentage is testament to that.
In my own state the government wanted to increase all surface and highway speed limits and remove lights to add roundabouts to reduce maintenance costs
All to collect more road tax, after a few months of a few freeways having the limit increased they discovered that death rate immediately jumped exponentially .

The DOT and Officers groups then opposed any further increases but our state senate is still pushing to increase the 25mph limits and more highways to get the increased gas tax from people guzzling the extra 20% fuel.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Anyone here remember when the speed limit was 55? Looking back,I honestly don't see how we ever got anywhere. But then again, commuting is much more the mainstream now than it was back then.

 

[4WD]

I do … too slow … but I also think some current speed limits and the tolerance for exceeding that limit have placed reaction/stopping distance data in the round file.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anyone here remember when the speed limit was 55? Looking back,I honestly don't see how we ever got anywhere. But then again, commuting is much more the mainstream now than it was back then.


The federal highway system was designed with 70mph in mind and still is. That 55 was in response to the gas shortage. It's well known that the speed limit should be set at 85% of what most drivers drive at and that is actually the 70-75 which the roads are designed for. You of course will get the other 15% who will drive much faster or slower.

Remember, it's not the speed that kills, it's the variation in speed. Germany has a much lower accident rate and no speed limit in certain areas. But as mentioned earlier, when you have a crash, it's a doozy. You can go to the race track and they all drive at those high speeds for hours and people aren't dying by the minute. You can raise the speed limit without a problem if everyone adheres to the same speed. When it's too low, the great variation is speed between the fast and slow drivers is what the real problem is.

 

[SevenBizzos]

We can do a thread on the real reason for speed limits and who makes them. The primary reason isn't safety and people that make the decisions do not have traffic engineering degrees. But that's getting to OT.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

Originally Posted by SevenBizzos
We can do a thread on the real reason for speed limits and who makes them. The primary reason isn't safety and people that make the decisions do not have traffic engineering degrees. But that's getting to OT.

The people who [censored] and moan about speed limits don't have "traffic engineering degrees" either...

 

[bachman]

Doing very little hwy or road trips but from memory, this area can move at 85 mph in areas which is ten-over. Always been fine with that when the flow and spacing allows me to feel safe at those speeds.

In town, I can barely drive the speed limit and generally choose not to. Pot holes are too common. Following distance allowing me to see the road damage coming and timing to maneuver around are more primary to me. These things are likely 9" or more deep in many cases. I might add one of those 8' tall orange flag streamers to my car so at least 'they' can find me if I am to pot-hole disappear in my little VW.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anyone here remember when the speed limit was 55? Looking back,I honestly don't see how we ever got anywhere. But then again, commuting is much more the mainstream now than it was back then.


I remember that moronic law. It forced me to learn the intricacies of traffic radar usage so that I could travel at a reasonable speed(@80 mph) on the interstate on the weekends I went to visit my girlfriend(now wife of 34 years- she gave me an Escort when I graduated from law school). Now that the interstate speed limit is 70 I still drive at that same reasonable speed of 80 mph.

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by SevenBizzos
We can do a thread on the real reason for speed limits and who makes them. The primary reason isn't safety and people that make the decisions do not have traffic engineering degrees. But that's getting to OT.

Our state has determined that higher speed limits allows them collect much more gas tax without anger from constituents.

Statically there is more speed variation in traffic the higher you set limits. This is unavoidable.

In this state moving the highway limit from 55mph to 70mph only increased average speeds from 45mph to 49mph but increased fuel consumption by about 20%

Faster limits just make people feel like they are doing something without actually accomplishing anything useful

Much more thought into designing freeways and removing cars from the road is needed to be effective.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by Rmay635703

Faster limits just make people feel like they are doing something without actually accomplishing anything useful

Much more thought into designing freeways and removing cars from the road is needed to be effective.

 

[Hermann]

Leave it alone, its not that big a crime and you cant prove his speed. The police have bigger fish to fry right now

Such as, non enforcing laws.

 

[JT20]

As someone who is a avid scanner listener these calls are placed nightly 5 to 10 times easily on Friday Saturday night you hear it all and everyone thinks they're Wyay Earp with a cell phone

I'd bet nothing ever happens as far as enforcement.