Speed Limits Are Too Low

[KD5NRH]

I'm still trying to figure out how you people want me to drive, when I'm in the far left lane of a freeway. Let's say I'm in the right lane, on a four-lane (2 lanes each way) freeway. The speed limit is 70 mph, and I'm driving at about 73. I'm beginning to creep up behind the guy in front me, so I slip into the left lane, to pass. Since I'm driving only slightly faster than the other guy (and because people tend to wake up, and increase speed, when you start to go around them) it may take me a mile or two to get around this guy. Even if I speed up to 75 or 76. This is when people like to come along and start tail-gating.

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.

[HankB]

I dislike people who drive below the limit in the left hand lane - in high school, I came that close to putting a paintball gun behind the grill of my car to deal with them; the problem with getting paintballs filled with the right stuff to eat off their paint was the show stopper.  (In hindsight, that was probably a good thing for me.)

On the other hand, in some places - notably major roads in and around Austin, TX (including I-35) - keeping vehicles out of the left hand lane EXCEPT to pass would effectively cut the highway's traffic capacity by a third to a half.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

One car length? I never get within 6 or 7 at speed if I can help it

[KD5NRH]

I dislike people who drive below the limit in the left hand lane - in high school, I came that close to putting a paintball gun behind the grill of my car to deal with them; the problem with getting paintballs filled with the right stuff to eat off their paint was the show stopper.  (In hindsight, that was probably a good thing for me.)

Almost as irritating are the ones who tailgate for miles in the right lane.  I so wanted to refit the rear window washer on my old wagon with tubing resistant to Klean Strip, and turn it to just mist behind me.

[41magsnub]

If it wasn't so situationally a bad idea, I would make using cruise control mandatory on the highway.  It gets tiresome when my cruise is set at 75 and I pass and get passed by the same guy multiple times.

[Ben]

If it wasn't so situationally a bad idea, I would make using cruise control mandatory on the highway.  It gets tiresome when my cruise is set at 75 and I pass and get passed by the same guy multiple times.

I hate that as well.  I hate it on the flats, where I end up having to turn it off and on a bunch when someone is in front of me and varying their speed +-10MPH (usually on a phone), and I hate it in hilly areas where someone with a weak engine passes me doing 75MPH on the downhill, but then can't make more than 45MPH on the uphill. Then the next time they pass me on a downhill, they give me a dirty look like I'm the bad driver, when I've been set on 65 the whole time.

[wmenorr67]

Here in Oklahoma around town it is usually 65 and if you do that you're going to get run over.  Usually run 75 most of the time on my main route to and from work.  Get outside of the city and the speed limit jumps to 75 and then you can easily do 80 and be safe because there is always that one or two that will run interference for you.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I hate that as well.  I hate it on the flats, where I end up having to turn it off and on a bunch when someone is in front of me and varying their speed +-10MPH (usually on a phone), and I hate it in hilly areas where someone with a weak engine passes me doing 75MPH on the downhill, but then can't make more than 45MPH on the uphill. Then the next time they pass me on a downhill, they give me a dirty look like I'm the bad driver, when I've been set on 65 the whole time.

if you were driving around here about 14 years ago and passed and then got passed by a red ford sprint on the hilly part of 64, that was me.

and yes, I did get annoyed at the other drivers. I had to get as fast as I could going down the hills to make it up the next one at any kind of reasonable speed.

[MechAg94]

I hate that as well.  I hate it on the flats, where I end up having to turn it off and on a bunch when someone is in front of me and varying their speed +-10MPH (usually on a phone), and I hate it in hilly areas where someone with a weak engine passes me doing 75MPH on the downhill, but then can't make more than 45MPH on the uphill. Then the next time they pass me on a downhill, they give me a dirty look like I'm the bad driver, when I've been set on 65 the whole time.

Try dealing with people who do that when there are no hills. 

[MechAg94]

I find it odd that we complain the most about speed limits for the type of road where speed limits are highest. It's the surface roads where speed limits really need to be raised.

I'm still trying to figure out how you people want me to drive, when I'm in the far left lane of a freeway. Let's say I'm in the right lane, on a four-lane (2 lanes each way) freeway. The speed limit is 70 mph, and I'm driving at about 73. I'm beginning to creep up behind the guy in front me, so I slip into the left lane, to pass. Since I'm driving only slightly faster than the other guy (and because people tend to wake up, and increase speed, when you start to go around them) it may take me a mile or two to get around this guy. Even if I speed up to 75 or 76. This is when people like to come along and start tail-gating.

I get the impression that people think you're supposed to go around the right-lane driver immediately, which in many cases means going ten or fifteen miles over the speed limit. I just checked the "Driver's Guide" for my state, and it specifically says not to exceed the speed limit while passing on a freeway. Personally, I've had enough speeding tickets. They are only getting more expensive, and I'm not getting another one.

And I still don't understand why the person who wants to break the speed limit is the good guy, and the guy driving at (or slightly above) the speed limit is the one who's the problem. 

IMO, yes you should go fast enough to pass them in a reasonable time.  Please also make an effort to not to suddenly pass right in front of that guy that has been approaching in the left lane for the last mile.  That is irritating. 

You should account for the fact that you might inadvertently slow down a bit or that the car in front of you will almost always speed up a little when you try to pass.  These two things happen so often here it is frustrating.  That is usually why it takes you longer to pass.

I don't even consider myself a fast driver.  I get passed all the time by many going faster.  Just above average I guess.

[Tallpine]

If it wasn't so situationally a bad idea, I would make using cruise control mandatory on the highway.  It gets tiresome when my cruise is set at 75 and I pass and get passed by the same guy multiple times.

Yeah, that and the guy that drives 66 2/3 mph regardless of whether the speed limit is 75 or 35 (construction zone). 

... and I hate it in hilly areas where someone with a weak engine passes me doing 75MPH on the downhill, but then can't make more than 45MPH on the uphill. Then the next time they pass me on a downhill, they give me a dirty look like I'm the bad driver, when I've been set on 65 the whole time.

If that guy is driving an old Autocar semi-truck pulling a gas tanker, don't piss him off 

[Boomhauer]

the car in front of you will almost always speed up a little

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.

[Ben]

If that guy is driving an old Autocar semi-truck pulling a gas tanker, don't piss him off 

Hey, I don't mind it when the laden trucks do it. I expect it on the uphill, and I don't think I've ever had one riding 6" off my tail on the downhill.

[Ben]

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 love it when people try to do that to me when I'm in my F250. They seem to think a big truck will be left in the dust. Turbocharged diesel is impressive for a fast pass though. 

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.

[Tallpine]

Hey, I don't mind it when the laden trucks do it. I expect it on the uphill, and I don't think I've ever had one riding 6" off my tail on the downhill.

But you've seen that Dennis Weaver movie, right?   

[Ben]

But you've seen that Dennis Weaver movie, right?   

Oh, I forgot all about that! But I did see it, many moons ago.

[charby]

But you've seen that Dennis Weaver movie, right?   

[Sergeant Bob]

Yeah, that and the guy that drives 66 2/3 mph regardless of whether the speed limit is 75 or 35 (construction zone). 
If that guy is driving an old Autocar semi-truck pulling a gas tanker, don't piss him off 

I see what you did there!

[Perd Hapley]

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.

If the car is traveling that much more slowly than I am, then obviously there would be no problem.

[brimic]

I hate that as well.  I hate it on the flats, where I end up having to turn it off and on a bunch when someone is in front of me and varying their speed +-10MPH (usually on a phone), and I hate it in hilly areas where someone with a weak engine passes me doing 75MPH on the downhill, but then can't make more than 45MPH on the uphill. Then the next time they pass me on a downhill, they give me a dirty look like I'm the bad driver, when I've been set on 65 the whole time.

My favofite o e us when I'm speeding along at  80, and I see someone coming g up on me fast...I move over to the right lane at about the time they are up on my rear bumper, then I have to slow down to match traffic in the slow lane.... then I notice that speed demon is now going 5-10 mph slower than I was- too chicken to be the lead car doing 25 over.

[Northwoods]

If it wasn't so situationally a bad idea, I would make using cruise control mandatory on the highway.  It gets tiresome when my cruise is set at 75 and I pass and get passed by the same guy multiple times.

I remember driving down to L.A. for a contract job back in '09.  On a lonely stretch of I-5, south of the Bay area, some chick in a red sedan zoomed past me.  I probably had the cruise set for 73mph or thereabouts.  She had to have been going well over 90.  Maybe 15-20 minutes later I zoomed past her.  She was maybe going 55.  No change in speed limits in that stretch, and no adverse weather or terrain.  Anyway, maybe 20 minutes later she zooms by me again.  This cycle repeated itself for several hours.  I never took the truck of cruise control and therefore was doing a steady 73-ish that whole time.

[RocketMan]

Oregon is particularly stupid about this. There are lots of places, particularly in Eastern Oregon, where 65 or 70mph speed limits would be appropriate, but the maximum for highways is 55. Nobody really goes that slow, but nobody wants to change it, either.  

At least you can go 65 on the freeways...though 75 would still be perfectly safe.

The Oregon legislature has directed ODOT on more than one occasion to review and raise speed limits where appropriate on Oregon highways.  ODOT has both ignored the legislature or told them to pound sand.  Seems the nanny statists are in firm control at ODOT.

[brimic]

Saw a new one this morning on my way in to work.... I've seen drunks before on the freeway, but this is the worst I've seen, I would have dialed 911, but my phone was off, and I didn't want to take my eyes off the road for a second with the erratic driver near me.

There was a woman on the freeway this morning who had to have been drunk. I was in the left lane on hwy45 going about 70 and came up to a car doing about 50. The car was jerking all over the road and across the next lane, almost hitting the wall and about a 1/2 dozen cars in the mile or so I was behind it. I finally got enough room in the lane right of me to pass, I looked back when the car was about 1/4 mile behind me and I saw a whole row of brake lights in the left lane with no traffic coming up from the left lane for the next mile- I'm guessing that she ran into someone or finally hit the wall.

[MechAg94]

My favofite o e us when I'm speeding along at  80, and I see someone coming g up on me fast...I move over to the right lane at about the time they are up on my rear bumper, then I have to slow down to match traffic in the slow lane.... then I notice that speed demon is now going 5-10 mph slower than I was- too chicken to be the lead car doing 25 over.

I see that quite often.  Usually they go away when someone faster comes along giving them someone else to follow. 

[MechAg94]

I remember driving down to L.A. for a contract job back in '09.  On a lonely stretch of I-5, south of the Bay area, some chick in a red sedan zoomed past me.  I probably had the cruise set for 73mph or thereabouts.  She had to have been going well over 90.  Maybe 15-20 minutes later I zoomed past her.  She was maybe going 55.  No change in speed limits in that stretch, and no adverse weather or terrain.  Anyway, maybe 20 minutes later she zooms by me again.  This cycle repeated itself for several hours.  I never took the truck of cruise control and therefore was doing a steady 73-ish that whole time.

Cell phone?