Am I the only one who drives the speed limit?

[ironhorse]

If I am driving to work, I'll drive the speed limit or maybe 5 over.
Coming home from work, that's a different story.

 

[Monocrom]

Well I have noticed lately since the whole defund the police movement (don't care how people feel about bad policy, public safety is more important than feelings), there are way more high number speeders. I also see memos from the state police on how they picked up people doing well over triple digits and they cant seem to make an impact. Unfortunately universal, consistent and fair enforcement is the only way to get it to stop.

In some countries, you pull that triple digit nonsense, they arrest you on felony charges and confiscate your car.... And, you don't get it back.

 

[The Hawk]

I usually drive the speed limit. I know how long it will take me to get to my destination. I leave my house in enough time to make it. Yeah, I have exceeded the speed limit and probably will do it again, but for the most part I am happy driving the speed limit.

 

[bykfixer]

Yesterday on the daily return commute while driving the speed limit I noticed the line of cars behind me was growing longer so I went up 3mph and noticed I began to pull away from the line of cars behind me. They fell farther and farther back.

Go from that main highway to the next one and while on the on ramp I was going faster than the car beside me so instead of slowing I hit the accelerator pedal. But knucklehead decides to speed up so I slowed down, then he slowed down. Whut thuh? So, I kicked in the afterburner so to speak and zoomed past the guy who seemed to have decided not to let me into the travel lane.

 

[bykfixer]

So today I'm peddling home from work on the interstate like normal when I see in the far left lane 2 state police car's lights flashing as they were chasing an ordinary Honda Accord. Now a Honda Accord can only go about 90mph and with all the traffic whizzing past me at 75 in a 60 the chase wasn't much faster than the flow. I'm like 10 miles from my exit at that point.

I see the police cars ahead of me shift to the far right lane near an exit. Uh oh, dude's going to crash, but when I went past that exit no crash. Then another state police car passes going like 120+. I mean he was really moving. I'm like 5 miles from my exit at this point. His car had a big brush guard on the front. I'm thinking he's going to Dale Earnhardt this Honda Accord.

Go past another exit and no crash. I reach my exit and see a bunch of cars backed up. Welp, there's the crash I thought. The exit is a big right hand sweeping curve. At the end of the sweeper there's a bunch of flashing lights. And at the T intersection there was the state police car blocking the path of the Honda Accord.

In about 5 miles that trooper had caught the car, passed it and blocked its path. Pretty freaking impressive in my book.

 

[JustAnOldFashionedLEDGuy]

Speed limits have long been detached from improvements in car design or even the best evidence w.r.t. accident statistics. Hard to support arbitrary laws.

I think in the US the top line accord was limited to 125, but they may have dropped it to just over 100. In Germany, it can do almost 150. Even the base model in the US is good for over 100 (almost 120 without limiter). It does not appear the limiter is very hard to over ride. Even ~20 years ago you could get a 240hp V6 in the Accord. That is good for probably 140mph without a limiter.

 

[idleprocess]

I think in the US the top line accord was limited to 125, but they may have dropped it to just over 100. In Germany, it can do almost 150. Even the base model in the US is good for over 100 (almost 120 without limiter). It does not appear the limiter is very hard to over ride. Even ~20 years ago you could get a 240hp V6 in the Accord. That is good for probably 140mph without a limiter.

My prior daily driver (2008 Mazda 3) was electronically governed at 115MPH. There were more RPMs in 5th gear to be had but past ~80 MPH it just wasn't very exciting watching the speedo slowly climb to then bounce off of the 115 tick mark.

I honestly don't know how fast the present daily - 2018 WRX - goes. Probably a greater top speed and less time getting there but I've never been inclined to find out because much like the 3 the excitement is gone at a point, albeit at greater than 80MPH.

 

[Poppy]

I once ran my Crown Vic up to 120mph. It had a nice smooth acceleration up to that point, and then it suddenly stopped accelerating. It was on a straight section of a smooth interstate. If the road was not well maintained, lumpy, or curvy, it would have been dangerous. It was getting a little "squirrely" to handle.

Speaking with a friend who is a stock car racer, he laughed and said that at 120mph, most cars feel like they are trying to take off flying. It's due to the aerodynamics, like the wing of an airplane.

Years ago I was told that our highways are designed for 80mph. Certainly they have to build a certain safety factor into them. Not all cars are impeccably maintained, nor are our roads (especially where they get exposed to salt, and freezing water conditions.)

I'm OK with cars governed to 100 mph.

 

[knucklegary]

Highway roads are in such bad state of repairs (in CA) 50-60 mph is necessary to avoid hitting pot holes and maneuver around chunks of asphalt.

Safer to speed on the race tracks.

 

[JustAnOldFashionedLEDGuy]

I would rather have higher tightly enforced speed limits, that the current lower laxly and inconsistently enforced speed limits. I expect the safety would be higher too.

 

[idleprocess]

I would rather have higher tightly enforced speed limits, that the current lower laxly and inconsistently enforced speed limits. I expect the safety would be higher too.

I would rather restructure traffic enforcement laws around safety than the present arrangement on revenue rangering surprise taxation.

 

[alpg88]

I would rather restructure traffic enforcement laws around safety than the present arrangement on revenue rangering surprise taxation.

I agree, but there are only so many cops, and speed cameras are easily defeated with obstructed plates. What i think needs to be done, is to allow ordinary drives report reckless driving (with good proof/video) to insurance companies, so they rase rates of those who drive like idiots. it would be much better deterrent, everyone has a cell phone or a dashcams these days, some cams record gps speed and location. that would have much greater impact on safety

 

[bykfixer]

Gallagher had it right. Shoot idiot flagged suction cup darts at idiot drivers and when one passes a cop with 5 flags they get pulled over for being an idiot.

 

[chillinn]

I don't really care about people speeding, so long as they're not driving reckless and being inconsiderate. What burns me up is anyone, speeding or not, that blocks the left lane, which is for passing or left turns only. These entitled idiots literally create traffic. Keep right, that's all I ask.

 

[Flashlightmaster2021]

yes yes you are the only who drives the speed limit

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

yes yes you are the only who drives the speed limit

You B driving so fast you missed typing a word. See what happens when you go too fast? 🤓

 

[alpg88]

...... Now a Honda Accord can only go about 90mph ...........

That is not right, I had 3 accords, got them all brand new, in sound condition, they hit 90 and you do not even feel it, you only realize you are going too fast when you look at speedo. same thing with pilot and passport, American cars otoh, i had a half a dozen of them, regardless of age, and condition, they start shaking their front ends at 70, and by 80 it feels dangerous to drive that fast. Gm was the worst. The only American car that i had that drove smooth at those speeds was Chrysler LHS. Imo it had the best suspension of all domestic cars i drove.

 

[bykfixer]

It was a stab at all of those stoopleedoo crooked hat wearing dummies with hondas making sparks off parking lot pavement while pop pop poppin' when they decelarate. ie I was joking.....

 

[alpg88]

Oh, you are talking about ricers (rice-race inspired cosmetic modification), i've seen cars molested by them, in our shop. vandals, bloody vandals.