Set my cruise control to 65

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Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
In California it's legal to drive the speed limit on the freeway but you should stay in the slow lane to allow everyone else go get past you. It may be legal to drive that slow but it can be dangerous.

And remember, if there's a group of cars spread across all lanes on the freeway blocking your progress it's your responsibility to jam up behind them and stay as close as possible. You should do this because if there's going to be an accident you don't want to be left out. And if there is no accident it's important that you get where you're going at least several seconds quicker than if you lagged behind at a reasonable and safe distance like some kind of sissy.

If you walk somewhere it's okay to fall behind your schedule a few minutes and even be polite and courteous, let someone go ahead of you and even hold a door open. When you're driving somewhere you can't afford any of that nonsense. You must absolutely stay on schedule because those seconds count. Risking your life and the lives of your family and others is a small price to pay for those precious seconds that could be lost forever.

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About the only time I dislike being passed is when someone tries to jam his 14-foot vehicle into the 13 feet between my front bumper and the rear bumper of the car ahead of me and in the next lane. I deliberately speed up when I can to close that gap and let the boy racer go around both of us.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Speed up a bit grandpa !! You aint that old captain
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Try say 75.. Or at least 70


If the speed limit is 65, why would you choose to be a scofflaw? When I received my license, I agreed to abide by the rules of the road, one of which was to obey the speed limit or use common sense during inclement weather, and I prefer to keep my word.


Because we live in a democracy, and people vote with their right foot!

Actually, it's safest to simply drive with the flow of traffic or slightly faster. Clearly stated, driving in the 90th percentile has the lowest crash risk.

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Those of us who are qualified drivers (professional or accredited race car drivers) know that the safest traffic speed is generally set by the majority. It's a speed the average person is comfortable with.

As roads improve, so does safety. Even while speeds increase.

Those are some neat graphics, but where's the source data from? I think in Canada and the US, trying to maintain 10km/h over the average becomes dangerous as you'll have to do lots of passing on the left and multiple lane changes because of people hanging around in the left and centre lanes... Its not right, but its reality.
Here the enforced speed limit is 20km/h over the posted limit, and probably the average speed is 15km/h over the limit. So adding 10km/h to the average makes you a target for ticketing, so if your time is worth more than gas, you definitely don't want to sit at the side of the road while you get a $200 bill written up... A car like yours swapping lanes to go a bit faster is going to get nailed fairly often.
 
A little self-righteous, eh?

Your speedometer might read 65MPH, but you are almost certainly going well under that speed.

BMW, for instance, calibrates their speedometer to read almost 5MPH faster than the real speed. The odometer is accurate, as is the internal speed messages on the communication bus, but the reported speed on the dial is intentionally off.
 
Driving a larger vehicle, I don't like to speed. It doesn't handle well approaching 70 and it also does not stop "on a dime." I feel the larger the vehicle, the greater capability to damage/hurt others, and therefore a greater level of care is required.

For the same reason I don't go over 30 in a 25, and in fact usually follow the 25.

I wish other larger vehicle owners felt the same. Nobody has any business driving a 6,000 3/4 ton around like a crx, especially in crowded roads or neighborhoods.

And when I'm towing, it's absolutely the posted limit or the limit of the tires.
 
A speed limit on a highway is an arbitrary number created in order to raise revenues for local governments. If the quality of the road is good and it is designed well, there is no reason for a speed limit to exist.
 
Originally Posted By: djb
A little self-righteous, eh?

Your speedometer might read 65MPH, but you are almost certainly going well under that speed.

BMW, for instance, calibrates their speedometer to read almost 5MPH faster than the real speed. The odometer is accurate, as is the internal speed messages on the communication bus, but the reported speed on the dial is intentionally off.


Mine's 2mph
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The funny thing is that power to increase speed in light of drag and losses increases at around the cube of speed.

IOW, to get a little more speed you need a lot more power. And resultant fuel burn.

One would think that in CA, given horrid air quality in many places and expensive fuel prices all over, that people would have more common sense.

That said, given positive weather conditions in lots of CA, speed may be less of a safety concern... Until you get those massive pile ups...

When gas was above $4.5-5.0/gal the average speed(light traffic) went down from 75-80 MPH to 60-65 MPH.
 
Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
A speed limit on a highway is an arbitrary number created in order to raise revenues for local governments. If the quality of the road is good and it is designed well, there is no reason for a speed limit to exist.


The average American is too stupid to drive the right speed for the conditions. So we have to set limits to help them.

Most people do not adjust their speed according to conditions. They drive the same, night, day, fog, rain, sun, wind, etc.

Kinda like a tragedy of the morons.
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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
And then watch all the cars go whizzing by me like I'm up on jacks.

Don't people worry about the highway patrol anymore?

Why? driving thru Fresno on 99 the speed limit is 65, once out of the city limits the speed ups to 70, i'll set my CC to 74 and go with the flow, rarely see any CHIPS on the highway, went by a CHIPS sitting on the side of the highway doing 74 and he never flinched, Cars rule here in Cali no matter the cost of gas, driving thru the desert from Cali to Phoenix on I-10 their speed limit is 75, i'll set my CC at 78/79 and get passed up all the time, rarely do I do any passing
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Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Speed up a bit grandpa !! You aint that old captain
smile.gif

Try say 75.. Or at least 70


If the speed limit is 65, why would you choose to be a scofflaw? When I received my license, I agreed to abide by the rules of the road, one of which was to obey the speed limit or use common sense during inclement weather, and I prefer to keep my word.


Because we live in a democracy, and people vote with their right foot!

Actually, it's safest to simply drive with the flow of traffic or slightly faster. Clearly stated, driving in the 90th percentile has the lowest crash risk.

isku_85th_1.gif


isku_40pct.gif


Those of us who are qualified drivers (professional or accredited race car drivers) know that the safest traffic speed is generally set by the majority. It's a speed the average person is comfortable with.

As roads improve, so does safety. Even while speeds increase.

I think driving at 80-85th percentile in the second most right lane is safest, very few cars pass you on the right and faster cars pass you on the left 2-3 lanes.

I don't know other states but in California we have this sign "Slower Traffic Keeps Right" in addition to speed limit sign.

Driving at speed limit, especially on left lane(s), is danger yourself and traffic around you, if traffic flows at 10-15 MPH above speed limit.

Once in a while I saw a slowpoke(at around speed limit) on left most lane got signaled from a cruiser, for violation of "Slower Traffic Keeps Right".
 
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
A speed limit on a highway is an arbitrary number created in order to raise revenues for local governments. If the quality of the road is good and it is designed well, there is no reason for a speed limit to exist.


The average American is too stupid to drive the right speed for the conditions. So we have to set limits to help them.

Most people do not adjust their speed according to conditions. They drive the same, night, day, fog, rain, sun, wind, etc.

Kinda like a tragedy of the morons.
wink.gif



"Tragedy of the morons."

I like that, may use in the future.

I have seen cases of people getting into accidents on rainy, dark days. They take no blame for it because they were doing the speed limit.
 
I am the worse of all... I operate my semi truck around 62 mph because it is the best speed for fuel economy, tire longevity, etc combined with time management. When someone can show me how to exceed the trucking industry average mpg by 20% like I am now, getting over 400,000 miles on my drive tires like I am now, and do it at 70-75 mph, I will take notes. It is all about money, not only how much revenue is coming in, but how much I get to keep. Carries over to my pickup. I hardly ever drive over 65 in it, even if the speed limit is 75. I could care less who goes flying around me and that I look like I am driving in reverse. I stay in the right lane as much as possible and mind my own business. I really don't care how fast everyone else is going. That is between the them and whatever LEO may be around.
 
I tend to keep up with traffic and try to blend in. I find I can cover a lot of distance at pretty good speeds by doing it.

OTOH I love rabbits and on a long trip on fairly empty roads always enlist their help when possible. Especially if they drive a bit aggressively and weave, they make excellent LEO bait.

One time I followed a bright yellow M3 for miles and miles. He was doing a solid 110-120, I let him get a mile ahead and paced him. Run rabbit run!
 
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Set my cruise control at approx 2, maybe 3 mph over speed limit...no matter if it's 55, 65 or 70. Sure I get passed by the hurry up group.
But.....it helps me achieve 20 plus mpg in my truck on the freeway. Even better mileage at slower speeds.

I got time so....no rush.
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I tend to keep up with traffic and try to blend in. I find I can cover a lot of distance at pretty good speeds by doing it.

OTOH I love rabbits and on a long trip on fairly empty roads always enlist their help when possible. Especially if they drive a bit aggressively and weave, they make excellent LEO bait.

One time I followed a bright yellow M3 for miles and miles. He was doing a solid 110-120, I let him get a mile ahead and paced him. Run rabbit run!


Agreed; I try to be the second-fastest car on the road. If I don't have a rabbit(or my V1) I usually go @10 mph over. I've never been stopped for 10-15 over on an interstate.
 
All these people driving very fast what a waste of oil.
I thought we were supposed to help our kids and not waste resources.
People love to waste natural resources. They dont give a poop for the future even when it involves their kids and or grand children.
 
Ahhh.. Hey captain.. Got a question for you.. What percentage of people ACTUALLY drive at or below the speed limit?? 5%.. 10%. ?? Give me a break.. Driving 7 mph or maybe 9 over in a 55 or 65 or 70 mph posted zone is NOT a big deal. I pass troopers running radar ALL the time at that pace and they never move. I even told my county police officer and state police officer friends that I drove 63 or 64 in the 55 mph zone in the open road of the county I lived in and they ALL said.. " hey we are not going to mess with you at all doing that". I've been passed by cats going 90... And one night on the interstate 64 I got passed by 6 motorcycle s doing I bet ahh...140 150 maybe higher...!! Now that's a big deal
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Ohh on the incliment weather issue... I drive 25 to 30 if its just snow on the road.. NEVER have even come close to having a problem on snowy roads. Other world champions driving 45 to 55 flying by me. I was driving one time on northbound route 17 and these two mental midgets were going at least 45.. Four miles up the road but who do I see flipped upside down a steep ravine on the left side of the road on a tricky right hand turn even in dry pavement?? The green car if the idiots flying on the road with 2 inches of snow on it. Thank goodness his buddy was there to witness it and help him out because where he wund up .. You couldn't have seen the car.. Could have been hours before someone else found him.
Worst road conditions I've driven are snow with sleet and freezing rain on top of that.. Then I go hardly 10 to 15 mph. Only thing worse than that is snow that falls then melts and the refreezes. That's equivalent to driving on freezing rain.
Heavy rain.. Ahh yeah I slow down depending on how heavy, a whole lot, and maintain a very long following distance.
I actually enjoy driving in the snow.. But its best when I am out by myself so that I don't have some fool riding 4 feet behind me because I am going 25mph
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