Speed Limits Are Too Low

[MechAg94]

The aholes that see you trying to pass and decide to stomp on the gas to try to block you are the reason I have a V8 in the truck.

I rarely see someone try to block me.  My Ecobooster turbo V6 in my F150 does very well at speed. 

What I see more often is the person in the right lane unconsciously speeds up maybe 2 to 3 MPH when the car to the left is going faster.  It isn't usually much of a change, but enough to make passing on cruise control a pain sometimes.  That is why I call it a herd mentality.  I have caught myself doing it before.  Often they will slow back down once you get out ahead of them, but you have to speed up more than you intend to get past them. 

[KD5NRH]

I don't see people do that too much on one lane roads, except, and it bugs me that much more, when there's a short passing lane. Then they floor it till the lane ends and go back to puttering along on the stretch where it's more dangerous to pass them.

This one should be justification for shooting out their tires at the very least, IMO.

[Northwoods]

Cell phone?

Except for speed they seemed in complete control.  It was more amusing to me than appearing dangerous.  When going slow they were at least in the far right lane.

[griz]

  That is why I call it a herd mentality. 

Yep.  Sometimes other drivers are so infuriating that it seems like it has to be intentional, but I think the vast majority of the time it's just people who's mind is a million miles away from the road.

[charby]

Except for speed they seemed in complete control.  It was more amusing to me than appearing dangerous.  When going slow they were at least in the far right lane.

Maybe she was using a device more personal in nature. 

[brimic]

Maybe she was using a device more personal in nature. 

Somebody had to go there.....









 

[KD5NRH]

What I see more often is the person in the right lane unconsciously speeds up maybe 2 to 3 MPH when the car to the left is going faster.  It isn't usually much of a change, but enough to make passing on cruise control a pain sometimes.  That is why I call it a herd mentality.  I have caught myself doing it before.  Often they will slow back down once you get out ahead of them, but you have to speed up more than you intend to get past them.

Particularly infuriating on I-20, since I usually look for that one speed demon, wait for him to get pretty close to the limit of visibility, and then match his speed.  Any cops ahead will be solidly locked on to him before I'm in their view, and any behind aren't likely to catch up.  Then I always seem to end up behind the guy passing an 18 wheeler with a .0125mph speed differential until my decoy is long gone.

[charby]

Particularly infuriating on I-20, since I usually look for that one speed demon, wait for him to get pretty close to the limit of visibility, and then match his speed.  Any cops ahead will be solidly locked on to him before I'm in their view, and any behind aren't likely to catch up.  Then I always seem to end up behind the guy passing an 18 wheeler with a .0125mph speed differential until my decoy is long gone.

Someday a hidden laser radar and multiple cops waiting to pull over speeders is going to get you.

[wmenorr67]

Someday a hidden laser radar and multiple cops waiting to pull over speeders is going to get you.

They will do that every once in awhile here around Tulsa.  There will be one sitting up on a bridge shooting and then several on the other side, out of sight waiting to chase.

[charby]

They will do that every once in awhile here around Tulsa.  There will be one sitting up on a bridge shooting and then several on the other side, out of sight waiting to chase.

Happens a lot in Des Moines, usually to go along with some celebratory gathering, like the state fair or women HS basketball tournament.

They do it right where the speed goes from 60 mph to 55 mph. Local radio station calls it the I-235 fundraiser.

[KD5NRH]

Someday a hidden laser radar and multiple cops waiting to pull over speeders is going to get you.

They don't get that fancy on that stretch; instead it's just 4-10 DPS troopers driving the frontage roads until they spot somebody who looks like they have enough money to pay a fine.  Pretty sure my 1997 Saturn with a chunk of the left fender missing and the sunroof held open by an empty soda bottle could be going warp 6 and they'd ignore it because I'm more likely to either fight the ticket or wait for the warrant and go offer to sit it out on their dime.

[Perd Hapley]

Someday a hidden laser radar and multiple cops waiting to pull over speeders is going to get you.

On I-70, near Lambert Airport.

[Scout26]

^^^^I-57 south of Marion, IL.

Getting back to Ben's point, RE: Passing and re-passing the same car over and over.

Each month I head to Indy to see my folks.  And each month there's at least one *expletive deleted*tard doing this.

Now, keep in mind that this is northwestern Indiana on I-65.  Other then the Wabash valley by Lafayette and the occasional overpass, I-65 between Indy and I-80/94 is billiard table FLAT.   The speed limit is 70 and I will set the cruise for between 70-75 depending on how fast the trucks are going/traffic.

And sure as *expletive deleted*, there will be some *expletive deleted*tard that I will pass, then they will pass me, then I will pass, all the while I never touch my gas pedal or change the cruise speed.  While I only have a Flat-4 under the hood, it will hold speed on the overpasses, so my speed is constant.  But these jackwads will go from 60 to 80+ and back again.

I would hope that they are using a "personal electronic device", because they sure are *expletive deleted* with me.  

[MechAg94]

Particularly infuriating on I-20, since I usually look for that one speed demon, wait for him to get pretty close to the limit of visibility, and then match his speed.  Any cops ahead will be solidly locked on to him before I'm in their view, and any behind aren't likely to catch up.  Then I always seem to end up behind the guy passing an 18 wheeler with a .0125mph speed differential until my decoy is long gone.

There always seems to be that slow guy that will follow a big truck for 10 miles UNTIL I am 100 feet behind and about to pass both of them. 

[Monkeyleg]

They will do that every once in awhile here around Tulsa.  There will be one sitting up on a bridge shooting and then several on the other side, out of sight waiting to chase.

I've seen that in central Illinois. A trooper will sit on an overpass and make it look like he's trying to hide, but still be visible to anyone paying attention. The cars slow down. A couple of miles down the highway is another trooper who's really well hidden, and catches the people who put their foot to the pedal again.

[zahc]

A 5mph speed differential is about 7.3fps, so passing a typical car should take less than 3 seconds.  Allowing a full car length in front and back, that's still only 9 seconds from pulling out to pulling back in.  If you're going a mile or two in 9 seconds, I want your car.

Your math is accurate but your problem setup stinks.

A full car length is not even close to enough buffer.  At 60mph, if you give yourself a reaction time of only 2 seconds, that's 175 feet. A buffer for a car moving roughly your speed will be less, bit only one car length is bordering on stunt driving. Also, it takes some time and space to accelerate,  especially at highway speeds. You might want to pre-accellerate up to passing speed before you get alongside the car you are passing, so as to minimize the time spent driving alongside them. That's going to add more time and space.  One of my other peeves is people who drive beside me at the same or very similar speed for miles. It's dangerous to hang out in my blindspot like that.

Also,  even in your example,  you say that 9 seconds like it's fast.  Given how impatient drivers are,  some of them get annoyed at having to wait 2 seconds for something. If you are off by a factor of 2, that's 18 seconds.  Count that down on a stopwatch and imagine Rushour McSwervy having to wait that long before resuming his critical 2mph faster cruise speed.  The humanity.

[MechAg94]

One car length is far from stunt driving, you just have to pay attention.  I generally only get that close when the car has already done one of the bad habits above.  Also, if you need a lot of distance to accelerate to 5 MPH faster, well I hope you are saving a lot of money driving that vehicle.  I am spoiled as the Ecoboost turbo accelerates at speed pretty good. 

The Herd mentality goes both ways.  I have seen cars in the left lane slow down to the speed of the guy on the right quite often also.  That might even be more common. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

At one car length if the car in front nails brakes you nail it. The 2 second rule is not bad.I don't trust other folks not to try to kill me. That might explain my last moving violation being one red light since 92. And when someone has bad driving habits I get further away from em rather than closer.ymmv


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[KD5NRH]

At one car length if the car in front nails brakes you nail it.

I don't stay at one car length, but plenty of places along US75 or I35 in Dallas, you're going to end up being at one car length from time to time.  As for passing, I do pull out a couple of lengths back, but if the guy's obviously accelerating while being passed, I don't worry about giving him more than that before I pull back in.  If he's not accelerating, then whatever space I give him will be continuously growing anyway.

[Tallpine]

I just got back from Colorado, where everyone tries to drive about 25 mph over the speed limit, and also tailgates     

I wish to hell that they would all run off a switchback on Hoosier Pass 

I don't think I ever want to go down there again unless I'm in a pickup or large SUV.

[Sergeant Bob]

One car length is far from stunt driving, you just have to pay attention.  I generally only get that close when the car has already done one of the bad habits above.

Famous last words.

At one car length if the car in front nails brakes you nail it. The 2 second rule is not bad.I don't trust other folks not to try to kill me. That might explain my last moving violation being one red light since 92. And when someone has bad driving habits I get further away from em rather than closer.ymmv


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I agree with CSD! 

[Balog]

One car length is far from stunt driving, you just have to pay attention.  

One car length, at 25 in a neighborhood maybe. one car length, at 75 on the highway? That's very much tailgating, and stupidly unsafe. At speed you do not have time to react at that distance.

[Tallpine]

The one thing that I really hate on the road is tailgaters 

[griz]

Just for the record, I did the math.  Assuming a generous car length of 20 feet, it takes less than 2 tenths of a second to cover that distance at 75 MPH.  Sounds pretty close to me.

[KD5NRH]

Just for the record, I did the math.  Assuming a generous car length of 20 feet, it takes less than 2 tenths of a second to cover that distance at 75 MPH.  Sounds pretty close to me.

You're assuming the lead vehicle is capable of instantaneous deceleration from 75-0MPH.  1G deceleration (pretty much at the edge of skidding for street tire composition on asphalt) would be 22mph/sec, meaning a hair under 3.5 seconds.

It's also a good idea to watch beyond the car in front of you; I frequently find myself off the gas and covering the brake before the car ahead starts braking, because I watch as far out as conditions allow and several degrees either side of the road, and therefore often see hazards well before the guy who watches 1-2 seconds straight ahead (if that much) and ignores everything else.